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perceivedregret · 1 year

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so it continues

written for @thefreakandthehair lex’s spicy six summer challenge! prompt was hurricane for a ronance centric fic. i'm super excited to be part of my first writing challenge! i hope folks enjoy this stand alone work that's set in the supernatural creatures au i've created. i was super lucky to have the prompt available to help motivate me to complete this idea that's been nagging at me for months. this fic takes place later in the timeline but works well enough on its own. feel free to explore the rest if you'd like, but for now!! have werewolf!nancy and witch!robin

tomorrow is closed (part one of two)

Nancy has this thing with the weather.

She’ll wake up naturally with the rise of the sun by the internal clock, or the damn wolfy-senses as Max likes to begrudgingly call it. Whether or not she got a good night’s rest the night before is besides the point. The habit only calls for a single peek between the blinds, doesn't require more than a squint behind bleary eyes to know what kind of day to expect.

It's become a sort of game for her. Every morning she makes a bet with herself. She tunes in to the local news and weather as she gets ready for the day, waits for weatherman Frank to confirm her guess.

And today is no different.

Nancy raps her knuckles lightly against the glass of the window as she watches the huddle of birds in the nest. She takes a moment to study the horizon where flashing lights illuminate the shadowy clouds, moments later accompanied by a distant roll of thunder.

Static cuts from the junk radio that sits haphazardly along the edge of her desk and Nancy flinches, the radio's feedback piercing. Fiddling with the knobs she turns down the volume until the hum of music no longer rings harshly in her ears, shifting the station to the local news and weather.

Finding the station is easy, has become an ingrained muscle memory as she only teeters back and forth between the one and the most tolerable music station she could find in college town.

Another display of flashing lights and she celebrates her win preemptively, the room further dimming. It comes in today , she thinks with a knowing grin, fingers sweeping deftly across her lashes and clearing away the sleep.

“Today's the day, huh?"

Nancy jumps at the sudden voice, hand to her chest as she spins towards the source. Robin's head peeks out from behind the door of the bathroom that connects their rooms, the upturned corner of her mouth covered in blue-white foam.

"Dammit, Buckley, you can't keep doing that, the whole…" Nancy motions vaguely between themselves, exasperation apparent in the movement. Somehow Robin smiles around the toothbrush. "It's not fair, this one-sided mind connect… thing ."

"D'as no’ 'ow id wo'ks 'nd– gib muh sec." Robin chokes out, free hand rushing to cup her chin as she tilts her head back. A raised pointer finger is the last thing Nancy sees before Robin disappears behind the door entirely, the sound of Robin spitting and the sink running sneaking through the gap.

Nancy rolls her eyes, the line of her mouth thinning as she tries to hide an endeared grin. She makes her way across her room, quick to comb her fingers through her hair. She knocks once before stepping inside but the door that leads to Robin’s room is shut, the bathroom empty. Nancy takes the opportunity to inspect herself in the mirror before going through her usual routine, not bothering to do too much since classes had already been canceled for the week.

She’s trying to tame the final loose strands of her hair when a loud thud comes from Robin's room, followed by low muttered curses one without superhuman hearing would miss. Nancy considers checking on her, gives up on the flyaways that are at constant war with the humidity and sets the hair clip just above the nap of her neck when Robin’s throat suddenly clears.

“No, it's okay, I’m fine! I’m fine, it’s just, this damn cat,” Robin mutters, followed by another succession of low ushered dammit's.

“Robin, seriously? Get out of my head!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

“No you’re not,” Nancy mutters quietly around a smile, leaning into the sink to collect water in her palm. There was never any real venom behind her words, but this other game she plays demands at least a response.

Like the weather, Nancy has this thing with Robin Buckley. A back and forth, one that Nancy still doesn’t entirely understand but one she enjoys, nonetheless. But like her thing with the weather, this thing with Robin involves a game.

Nancy isn't altogether opposed to the constant intrusion that comes with the mind thing. If she’s honest with herself she finds that she rather enjoys it, delights in the fact Robin has this bit of access to her, this connection.

But if she's honest with herself on this then she'd have to further investigate why she doesn't mind. Why the constant reminder that comes in Robin’s one-sided replies sends a familiar warmth through her. A sense of longing that has itself raveled so snuggly around her it nearly smothers her.

She doesn’t have to dig too deep to know the why. The path to truth is as shallow as the empty faux-graves Hopper and the Suits had dug up for their group back in Hawkins.

Except she isn’t ready to delve into it, not after Steve or Jonathan, especially not after Barb, not yet at least. Robin is too important. After everything, the thought of ruining anything between them, most importantly their friendship, would surely kill her the way the wolf-turned-werewolf bite was meant to do all those years ago.

Instead she hides it, buries it as deep as her heart allows and hopes it's deep enough to ignore and not be uncovered, especially not by the one who is privy to her thoughts and capable of uncovering said truth.

So, Nancy has this thing with the weather and Robin Buckley. Another game, one she's determined not to lose.

Even if she's the only one playing.

Another series of thuds this time accompanied by a disgruntled yowl. Nancy eventually hears the unmistakable click of Robin’s window being unlocked and opened, followed by the scattered footsteps of the stray Robin has been so determined to save.

Satisfied with her reflection Nancy starts to make her way back to her room, now actively making an attempt to be less attuned to all things Robin and her current spout of rambling apologizes. She chances a glance outside where the growing clouds cast a shadow over the adjacent buildings, thinks she sees a white-tipped tail disappear around a corner.

Nancy has tried to befriend the grey-white Manx but her attempts to do so have proved unsuccessful. She hasn’t been able to get closer than a few feet before he’s hissing at her, the fur along his spine and tail puffing up with each spitful warning. It doesn’t help when the werewolf part of her instinctually reacts, eyes flashing a defensive yellow, the bed of her nails going numb as her claws prepare to extract.

She hopes he finds somewhere safe to hide, especially today. The cat would rather brave an incoming storm than share a space that houses four other supernatural creatures and a human witch he barely tolerates. She tries not to think about him getting caught in the coming storm.

At the sound of Robin’s door opening her heart flutters in her chest. She tries vehemently to not think about that either.

"As I was trying to say." Robin sidesteps into the room, the hinges of the door whining as she shuts it with a fuzzy-socked heel. Nancy makes an attempt to not stare as Robin leans heavily against the door.

It was a valiant two second attempt, but an attempt nonetheless.

She can’t help but let her eyes wander when Robin gives her the opportunity. Robin tips her head and her hair falls forward, presenting the crown of her now nearly blonde head that has ever so slightly lightened from the constant Florida sun.

Robin's knees knock together as she sinks against the wall, seemingly trying to make herself small under Nancy’s attention. Nancy’s eyes slowly trail up Robin's exposed legs, still surprisingly pale after all these months, her gaze coming to a stop just before she reaches her face. She takes in the oversized shirt that nearly drowns her frame, one she safely assumes belongs to Argyle for its bright colors and assortment of oddly shaped leaves.

When Nancy’s gaze does finally reach the other girl’s face, she feels her own cheeks flame pink. She doesn't need to be able to read Robin's mind to know she's been made.

Instead of calling her out on it Robin’s smirk shifts, her nose scrunching and her hands coming up defensively in front of her chest. "We've been over this, the mind thing–"

There’s a hint of nerves behind her words. Why?

"–that's not how it works, Nance. If–"

She didn’t notice, how did she– no, don’t. Stop, don’t think. Don’t think .

Robin's eyes narrow as her mouth snaps shut. Before she can start again Nancy cuts her (and herself) off with a dismissive wave and what she hopes is a reassuring smile, begs her voice to not come out as tightly as her chest feels.

"I know, you don't have to say it." Nancy directs her attention towards her desk, eyes darting over the mess of her recent project that clutters the surface. "I think of you, I end up in your head, and it makes you think of me. 'If we're both thinking about each other hard enough, we meld ,' or whatever the hell you and Steve used to call it."

“Yes, exactly! Except… no, no, not really. Me and him, that's a little different.” Robin sucks air between her teeth and Nancy looks over her shoulder, watches Robin’s head tilt left and right in consideration. “It’s just a little bit different, we–”

"I know . You two have a back and forth, we don’t. Regardless, it doesn't mean I'm used to you having access to my thoughts."

Cheater she thinks, and this time tries to think it as loudly as she can. She spares a final glance over her shoulder if only to glare teasingly before focusing on opening the lockbox that conceals her gun. A strong gust slaps against her window, the quick flash of lightning making the double action revolver she holds in her hand shine.

A mock offended gasp followed by an incredulously low muttered "I don't cheat, " from behind just barely pulls Nancy's attention. Nancy tries to suppress a chuckle as nimble fingers run over the cold metal, trigger finger aligned with the barrel.

Thumbing the release, she flicks the cylinder out of the frame to inspect the circle of wooden bullets in the chamber. Blowing air through the exposed rear of the barrel, she picks away the splinters of wood that litter the opening.

They're still not as good as Argyle's. Dammit, how does he make them so perfect, I don't– Nancy bites her tongue, uses the sting to try to rein in her thoughts again as she continues to inspect the revolver and the bullets inside.

"Ever the sore loser, Wheeler," Robin sighs as she leans back against the door, still across the room.

"Shut up, no I'm not. Besides, this is different."

"Different how? You against the weather, you against Fred and the school paper–" Nancy winces with a silent rest in peace “–now you against Henry. Well, I guess it's now you against Argyle against Henry.”

"The difference is that this is actually important. If we're ever going to take down Henry and his hounds I need to get just as good, if not better at this. The wrong sigil or the wrong shape and weight of the bullet is life and death, and death is not an option. I need to get this right."

Robin whistles low. Nancy can picture the scrunch of her nose without having to look back. "Okay, yeah, you're right. That– it's different."

I'm always right, cheater, Nancy thinks with a smirk, knows not to speak or else expose her amusement.

"Except I don't cheat, so you're not actually always right. But, honestly, this weather game you've got going on… I don't know Nance, this one feels a little teeny-tiny bit like cheating. The weather man's been talking about this storm all week."

"No! I mean, yes, technically he has, but they're still not sure if it’s going to hit us as a tropical storm or a hurricane. I obviously don’t want it to be anything more than a storm, but my bet is hurricane.

"It's been light showers and tropical storm force winds all week, but today is the day. They’re going to announce it picked up over the Atlantic, you watch. Florida weather is already so unpredictable and–"

As if on queue the emergency alarm system blares through the speakers of her radio and Nancy nearly jumps out of her skin, making Robin cackle.

"Shut up. You know my hearing is different from yours," Nancy mutters around her own fit of giggles, lowering the volume as Frank's static voice cuts through. He announces fervently the list of counties that are under tropical storm advisories, including theirs, urging everyone to begin any last minute prep for the fast approaching storm if they haven't already.

"Tropical storm? What- I was so sure it was going to upgrade overnight. I mean, obviously I’m not saying I want a category five or anything, but not even a CAT one?” Nancy mutters with a pout, turning the volume down to a low buzz.

“I know it’s not the Once in a Lifetime Hurricane you were expecting, but a storm is coming in today. As your unofficial ref, I say you won today’s bet.”

“Yeah okay,” Nancy says with a self-deprecating roll of her eyes, the corners of her mouth slipping into a sheepish grin. It's dumb, I know.

"Nothing you do is dumb, Wheeler," Robin says quietly around a chuckle, her hands rising preemptively in apology. But, Nancy doesn't comment on it, can't bring herself to act peeved at the intrusion, instead allows herself a genuine smile.

Nancy’s amusement is only short lived. She redirects her attention towards the gun still in her hand, knocking the wooden bullets out of the extractor and onto her desk where she rolls one of the crudely carved bullets underneath her fingers, unimpressed by her own work.

Another crack of lightning illuminates the room, this time the accompanying crash of thunder following sooner than it had before. With a resigned sigh Nancy reaches out to change the station, today’s bet against the weather officially over.

Dreams starts sifting through the speakers and Nancy tenses, looks over in time to catch the look that masks Robin's face the moment the song registers. Her fingers are immediately back on the dial.

"It’s okay. You don't have to change it, it's fine," Robin says, voice soft.

Nancy hesitates. "Are you sure? I don’t mind changing it."

"No… I mean, yeah? Shit." Robin mutters. After a moment that feels like an eternity passes her eyes slip shut, a pained wince shadowing her features as Stevie Nick's floaty vocals carry their way around the room.

Nancy's fingers twitch, itching to reach out and turn the radio off all together. Instead she waits, barely flinching at the crack of thunder that seems to shake the entire complex. Robin exhales a shaky breath with another low muttered curse. Eventually she nods, opens her eyes as the instrumental breaks and her gaze immediately locks on Nancy.

Nancy watches as the harsh lines between her brows melt away with the slow guitar bridge, Nancy’s own heartbeat moving with the faster drum beat. Robin takes a shallow breath, steadier, and she clears her throat.

"Honestly, I’ve kinda missed this. It used to drive me absolutely bonkers trying to understand how two complete flower children like my parents could have ended up stranded in a town like Hawkins. I used to dream of life after seventeen, ya know... Bella Donna promised a life of adventure.

"But then I turned seventeen and our lives went to shit... What I’d give to come home and find my mom in the middle of our living room, stoned, dancing to Fleetwood Mac."

Robin sniffs quietly with a quick succession of teary blinks that makes Nancy’s own heart ache as she thinks of her own family back home. She wants to take the steps that will carry her across the room, wants to take Robin's hands in her own, help carry the pain that's all too familiar, to hold her.

She doesn't. She musters up what she hopes is an encouraging smile. Robin grins back, line of her mouth tight before she resigns herself to looking out the window. Nancy takes it with a quick swipe to her nose before she turns back to her desk.

They remain silent for a while.

Nancy goes over the carvings, jotting down notes for later. The only noise that fills the space is the music from the radio, her pen scratching along the paper, and the occasional clank as she snaps the barrel of the revolver in and out of the frame.

They remain content in the quiet as the chorus of thunder continues to crack in the distance.

After some time Nancy turns her head to prop her chin onto her own shoulder. In the safety of shadowed light, she allows herself to look.

Robin is looking out the window, watching the angry dark clouds continue to creep in across the sky. The coming storm casts shadows and light across her face. If Nancy focuses hard enough she can almost see the reflection of it in her eyes.

Heavy rain starts to fall and the room darkens even further, heat from the little bit of sun the day had to offer slowly dissipating. The wind howls and Nancy can only just hear the birds in their nest, their silent chirps nearly hidden behind the sound of the wind as the tree that houses their nest trembles.

"I'm not cheating, by the way."

Nancy speaks suddenly, her voice soft. Robin turns to look at her. When her brows pull together and her lips pout in question Nancy has to look away. She focuses on Robin's hands, her fingers interlocked and laid against her stomach.

Nancy chokes on a swallow, attempts to hide it with a cough as she turns back to her desk. “Today, the storm. I'm using context clues, taking the hints nature has to offer. It’s Journalism 101. ‘Don’t just ask if it’s raining; go look .’

"You, though, hearing my thoughts with all your witchy magic? That's definitely cheating."

"Fair point,” Robin murmurs with a chuckle. "In my defense, Wheeler, if you don't want me to have access to your thoughts, have you considered…"

Nancy hums when Robin doesn't continue, half focused on cleaning up the mess of her desk. She shuffles note cards of the sigils she's been learning and stacks them neatly atop a book of supernatural studies.

She continues to skim the titles of cut out newspaper articles she's been using to track Henry and his pack as she waits. After no response she shoves them unceremoniously below the pile of neatly handwritten pages dotted with information she's picked up about the hybrids from Argyle.

She's inspecting the edge of her blade when she hums again. A nudge. The other part of her, the most demanding part, is still waiting, reverted to being completely attuned to all things Robin Buckley. She tampers the fluttering in her chest, or at least she tries to as she sets down the dagger and unearths a random article, tries to settle her nerves and focus on the words on the page.

The door creaks as Robin finally pulls herself away from it and Nancy’s stomach swoops as the energy shifts inside the room, mirroring to the torrent that plays outside.

She can hear the pop as Robin pulls on her fingers, the way she shakes her hand out. Robin spins the ring on her thumb as she makes her way across the room with a ghost of a smile on her lips, one Nancy knows is there without having to look back.

Another passing moment and Nancy clears her throat. Have I considered what? She thinks, doesn't trust her voice to not give her away.

"Have you, Nancy Wheeler, considered…" Robin's voice is low, scratchy, and it sends a shiver down Nancy's spine. The articles crinkle in her hands as she makes a desperate physical grab for control of her nerves.

The lights flicker and Nancy shudders. Nancy inhales deeply as Robin approaches from behind. She closes her eyes, sinks into the familiar scent and warmth that washes over.

"Have you considered not thinking about me?" Robin's voice is barely a whisper.

Nancy nods, perfect brows pulling together with a dazed shake of her head because- "Of course I have."

"So, why don't you?"

I can't.

"Why not?"

Because I'm pretty sure I’m in love with you.

part two soon!

#LexsSummerFanworksChallenge #ronance #ronance fic #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #it's a hurricane of emotions is what it is #god im so excited to break them soon <3 (im lying im actually dreading it)#supernatural creatures au #3.4k words #my*stuff

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excalisbury · 3 years

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IT'S WEDNESDAY

Hello hello friends! I’m starting pretty early this fine Wednesday so I’ll thank some lovely folks who have tagged me in various things in recent weeks. Thank you to @aristocratic-otter, @otherpeoplesheartachept-2, @dreamingkc, @unseelieseelie, and @mostlymaudlin for tagging me in the past two-ish weeks! Consider your lovely selves tagged for today, too!

My WIP for today is probably my EGF submission sooooooo we're goin under a cut first! Don’t click if you’re under 18 please!

Hmmmmmmm something is happening to Simon 👀👀(¬‿¬)

Me, chanting: EGF! EGF! EGF! EGF! EGF! EGF! EGF!

Anyway I'm v excited for EGF even though it has taken me a whiiiiiiile to feel inspired for it. So I want to start my tags with @palimpsessed <3 ur a saint for running this fest to get all of us to gift each other with all this excellent spicy content.

Also tagging: @truck-fcked-soul @satsukii @simonsnowsfreckles @bazzybelle @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists @urban-sith @prettylightsbigcity @tea-brigade @shemakesmeforget @stardustasincocaine @nick-eyre @martsonmars 🧡🧡

#wip wednesday

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makeste · 4 years

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BnHA Chapter 300: Days of Our Todorokis

Previously on BnHA: Hawks was all “hey Jeanist, wanna go on a road trip with me to my mom’s house?” Jeanist was all “you know it,” and so they hopped into Jeanist’s jercedes and took off. Hawks took a nap and had a flashback to his Dickensian childhood living in a abject poverty with his jerk mom and jerk dad, thinking heroes were make-believe until one day Endeavor arrested his dad and Baby Hawks was all “OH SHIT.” And then he saved a bunch of people, and the HPSC was all “what do we have here,” and blah blah blah, you know the rest. Back in the present, Hawks was all “well my life is currently in shambles, but on the plus side there’s no one bossing me around anymore so that’s pretty cool,” and then decided he was going to talk to Endeavor. Fandom was all “I can’t believe Hawks would side with his childhood hero over the man who burned his wings off and posted a video calling him a violent murderer who took after his abusive dad,” so that was fun and stuff. I can’t wait to see what piping fresh takes this new chapter will bring.

Today on BnHA: Our old friend Carbonation Carl tries to loot a Starbucks and gets his ass kicked by a senior citizen. Society is all “YEAH, WE’RE REALLY STARTING TO GET SICK OF THIS SHIT.” Old Man Samurai is all “this room won’t stop me because I can’t read it” and abruptly decides to retire, which, fun fact, is literally THE LEAST HELPFUL THING ANYONE HAS EVER DONE. Anyway so then a bunch of other punkasses follow suit, and while I won’t say that I’m actually starting to root for Stain to kill some peeps, just for the record I’m not not saying that either. Back in the hospital, Endeavor cries some tears because his life sucks, and then is confronted by his entire family, LED BY QUEEN REI, FIRST OF HER NAME, BACK IN BUSINESS AND LARGE AND IN CHARGE. Rei is all “fuck feeling sorry for yourself, we have a rogue Murder Son on the loose” and I swear to god I have never felt so alive.

so here we go! and just for the record, even though the last two chapters have been phenomenal, I don’t necessarily have any sky-high expectations for chapter 300, mostly because chapters 100 and 200 consisted of Mei Boobs, and Toadette and her horrific quirk lmao. so go ahead Horikoshi, what are you gonna pull out of your hat for this one

oh, back to this stuff again. sob

I guess there was only so much time we could spend having hospital antics and exploring Hawks’s past before we got back to dealing with the whole “the world has gone to absolute shit” issue huh, lol

omg

what’s with these bizarrely cute Noumus. why do I want to pet them

so the narrative text is going on about how people have been super paranoid about the Noumu ever since the USJ incident a year ago. so yeah, I guess the fact that there are now a bunch of them confirmed to be running around is really freaking people out even on top of everything else

wtf is happening here

what did this poor lil glass ever do to anyone. r.i.p.

OH MY FUCKING GOD

SODA SAM IS BACK ON THE LAM

tsk tsk tsk. my man has graduated from snatching purses to raiding cafes. going after that big money. this man has no business sense whatsoever lmao

OH BUT WATCH IT NOW!!

OH SNAP THE PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK. WHATCHA GONNA DO NOW SAM

THIS MAN IS 172 YEARS OLD AND HE’S NOT HERE TO PLAY GAMES!!

WTF IS HE LIGHTING THIS THING ON FIRE OR SOME SHIT. GETTEM GRANDPA YEAHHHH HE’S CHARGING AT EM YEAHHHHHH

lmao so that was fun. and now we’re cutting to Wash!! omg. look at him

he’s so dedicated. too bad you don’t have a car like Best Jeanist. probably takes a while when you’re just running everywhere

you see?? you were too slow!!

NOOOO, GRANDPA. he defeated Pepsi Pete, but lost his life in the process. this is too tragic

anyway so the good news is that the cafe has been saved! but the bad news is, there really isn’t much of a cafe left. huh. I guess that’s one of the reasons why people are supposed to get a license to use their quirks like this

oh snap and now everyone is coming outside, and they’re none too happy to see poor old Wash over here

seriously Wash, get a bicycle or something. also the way this guy is gesturing so dramatically with his hand in this sort of “YOU SEE!! YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS!!” manner is sending me

OH MY GOD

HE SPEAKS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS. IT MEANS JEANS PUNS ARE YESTERDAY’S NEWS, FOLKS!! MAKE WAY FOR THE LAUNDRY PUNS. CAN’T WAIT TO WATCH THIS ALL... UNFOLD

“the heroes had dwindled away” okay real talk you guys, it is literally only a matter of time before they press-gang the children into picking up their slack. I still don’t know how to feel about that, but it is happening one way or the other regardless. Child Soldiers 2 Electric Boogaloo. wonder if we’ll see a rise in vigilante action as well

OHO WHAT’S THIS? THIS IS A CHAPTER OF GRANDPAS HUH

-- no fucking way

WOW. WOW. WOWWWWWW

wow. so he didn’t do a fucking thing while the rest of the top ten were being turned into red mist in the previous arc, and now that it’s all over and they need his help more than ever, he decides... THAT IT’S TIME TO RETIRE. holy shit. “fuck you” doesn’t even begin to cover it my guy. you stand there and soak up those boos you coward

ohhhhhhh shiiiiit you guys. oh shit

the “I am not here” breaks my fucking heart for real though y’all. oh man. everything he worked for is gone just like that

(ETA: okay so a couple of the takes I’ve seen on this make it seem like All Might is somehow the bad guy here?? “this is what happens when society puts a bunch of glorified cops on a pedestal”, “finally the cracks in hero society are showing”, etc. etc. so, just a friendly reminder that this isn’t happening because of too much trust and a lack of critical thinking; this is happening because the villains killed all the heroes and broke a bunch of murderers out of jail. it’s happening because an organized league of terrorists succeeded in terrorizing, and so society is now understandably awash in fear and panic. like, it’s just wild to me that AFO is RIGHT FUCKING THERE, and yet week after week fandom still has their “IT’S ALL THE HEROES’ FAULT” signs still up on their lawns. BUT WHATEVER, MOVING ON.)

also though, so exactly how much time is passing here now? I wanted to go straight back to the hospital and see what happens with Deku and the Todorokis. please don’t tell me we’re jumping ahead sob. my aaaaangst

OH SHIT

STAIN. LISTEN UP BUDDY. I KNOW WE’VE HAD OUR DIFFERENCES, AND I STILL DESPISE YOU FOR CRIPPLING TENSEI AND TRYING TO KILL MY BEST BOY TENYA. BUT AS IT HAPPENS, THERE ARE ONE OR TWO OTHER HEROES OUT THERE NOW WHO I WOULDN’T MIND YOU PAYING A VISIT I’M JUST SAYING

LOL BUT IT ACTUALLY ISN’T THIS MAN, FFFFFF

sob. yeah I was talking about Old Man Samurai actually but YEAH. HEY THERE ENJI

also is this entire hospital actually run by characters from Super Mario Bros though. first Yoshi and now this guy, come the fuck on that is not a coincidence

lmao they stuck him in another one of these cavernous creepy hospital rooms

wtf is it with Horikoshi and these giant fucking rooms lately. Kacchan’s in chapter 298, then Tomie’s colossal house furnished with like one table and a TV, and now this. and the weirdest thing about it though is that “huge space with nothing to fill it up” is like the exact opposite of what you’ll usually find in Japanese homes lol

so now Enji is just sitting there thinking things like “my head is fuzzy” and “I’m alive” lmao okay. not quite all there yet, huh. I’ll give you a minute

I’m so fucking curious as to who his first visitor is going to be omg. either way it’s going to be interesting af, and either way fandom is probably going to feel some way about it but OH WELL

okay now his thoughts are getting more coherent! and he’s remembering Touya, and feeling regret for freezing up and forcing Shouto to deal with everything instead

!!! OH HERE GOES BRACE YOURSELVES Y’ALL IT’S ABOUT TO GET SPICY

NO TOUYA PLEASE DON’T CRY HONEY NO PLEASE

ohhhhhhh man

okay, I mean I didn’t expect you to, but so instead then you’re just going to do... what? lie there and wallow in regret and self-pity for the rest of your life? son you know that’s not how we deal with our problems here in Shounen

though also, I totally do get it though. honestly, thinking on it, I probably would have been disappointed with any other response. but so this is where the rest of his family (including his adopted son) come into play now though, because like it or not they’re all in this thing together. and so friends, I am once again asking you WHO IS GOING TO BE THE ONE TO VISIT ENJI FIRST

AHHHHHHH

KRANCH!!!! OMG AND THE OTHERS ARE SO TINY NEXT TO HIM THAT I ALMOST DIDN’T SEE THEM AT FIRST. IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE TWENTY MILES AWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS REGULATION HOCKEY RINK OF A ROOM

holy shit I’m so excited lkjlklhlglkasdsjldfk

SDKFJLSKHLKJL

the way she has him by his collar lmaoooo. “lol nah you’re not going anywhere pal.” damn straight, siblings have to be ride or die in situations like this. banding together for survival. strength in numbers

OH MY STARS I’M JUST WARNING YOU NOW THAT I’M ABOUT TO DISSECT EVERY LAST REMAINING PANEL OF THIS CHAPTER PROBABLY YOU GUYS. WE COULD BE HERE A WHILE

love how Fuyu has absolutely no idea how to segue into THE SINGLE MOST AWKWARD CONVERSATION SHE’S EVER HAD, so she just GOES FOR IT in pure small talk mode like they’re meeting up for brunch somewhere

I KNOW IT’S A SMALL THING, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT THE FIRST THING ENJI ASKS IS WHETHER THEY’RE OKAY

lastly while I can’t wait for more of this delicious Natsu angst, I also just have to say that Enji has as much reason to cry right now as anyone on the planet. you can’t deny that being confronted by your not-dead-but-you-thought-he-was-dead son who’s all “SURPRISE DAD I GREW UP TO BE A MASS MURDERER AND I HATE YOU AND EVERYTHING IS ALL YOUR FAULT AND NOW I’M GONNA MAIM YOUR OTHER KID” with a side order of “EVERYONE HATES YOU AND SOCIETY IS CRUMBLING AND NOTHING WILL EVER BE GOOD EVER AGAIN” is enough to bum pretty much anyone out. there’s a Pagliacci the Clown joke here somewhere. BUT DOCTOR, I AM THE NUMBER ONE HERO

oh man lol he is seriously falling apart

damn. like you guys, I’m sorry, go ahead and cancel me, but I do feel compassion for the man. it’s therapeutic for me to see an abuser actually feel remorse and be truly sorry and want to change and want to make it up to his family. and it’s also compelling as fuck to read a narrative about a family that’s trying to grapple with that, because let me tell you straight up, as someone who’s done a version of that song and dance -- it is exhausting. it is a piping hot mess. it’s a gigantic mishmosh of extremely volatile emotions that all somehow all contradict one another. love, hurt, hope, anger, betrayal, resentment, attachment, longing. it’s something you can both be desperate for and also want nothing at all to do with. and attempting to portray all of that and write about it is a monumental task, and one which Horikoshi has done so, so delicately thus far, and damn but I appreciate it. anyway, so I’m here and I’m ready for my latest helping of Todoroki Fam Feels you guys

GASP

oh man. OHMANOHMANOHMAN. CAN IT REALLY BE. IS THIS THE REDEMPTION ARC OF CHAPTERS 100 AND 200???

LMAO SHE’S ALL “WE ALL FEEL BAD YOU JACKASS STOP CRYING ABOUT IT”

LAY INTO HIM REI!! SORRY ENJI YOUR PITY PARTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED IN FAVOR OF A “SO WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT” PARTY COURTESY OF QUEEN ELSA OVER HERE. THE PEOPLE TOOK A VOTE AND WE WANT LESS WHINING AND MORE ACTION

oh my god look at this lady folks

NOTE THE HAIR BLOWING IN THE NONEXISTENT WIND. NOW WE KNOW WHERE SHOUTO GOT THIS POWER FROM

(ETA: btw guys, seeing Rei handle this crisis like an absolute champ despite everything she’s been through is everything, though. I’m reminded of Hawks’s line last week about people sometimes unexpectedly finding liberation when they’re backed into a corner. like things may be shit but goddammit her kiddos need her.)

THE CHAPTER IS ALREADY ENDING SOB, IT’S ONLY A 17-PAGER THIS WEEK, BUT GODDAMN WHAT A WAY TO CLOSE

oh my god. oh my god oh my god. AND FUCK YOU HORIKOSHI FOR CUTTING IT OFF THERE sob. it’s like each week the wait for the next chapter becomes more painful. the Todofam is about to get real, and on top of that Hawks is gonna crash the party at some point down the line, and on top of that we’re still waiting for Kacchan to have his own heartfelt discussion about What The Fuck Are We Supposed To Do Next with his best friend who’s currently in a coma. all I want to do with my life is read about these three things, and all I can do is simply wait as they are portioned out in agonizing, addicting little installments every week

anyway! tune in next time as we answer the question of whether or not fandom will finally run its train of logic all the way through to its natural conclusion and somehow manage to cancel Noted Abuse Apologist Todoroki Fucking Rei. don’t act like it can’t happen. you all know nothing is sacred lol. anyways but I’m ready for anything lol, bring it

#bnha 300 #endeavor #todoroki enji #todoroki shouto #todoroki rei #all them todorokis #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #I can't believe I've done 300 of these now lol #think I'm gonna finally have to update the post index again

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nossbean · 3 years

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Fic writer meme

Nicked from @captainelliecomb some time ago and rediscovered half complete in my drafts today!

name: jellyb34n on AO3

fandoms i write for: atm it is pretty much just ASOIAF! Predominantly JB. Anyone else/any other ship is secondary, really. Back in the times before tumblr even existed I played in Merlin: Gwen/Arthur and then Gwen/Merlin after the show went to pot. And more recently but before I returned to tumblr, I wrote one Star Wars fic, a character study of Leia.

two-shot: I don’t think I’ve ever done a two-shot!

most popular multi-chapter: it’s not much (but my money’s on you) Which honestly is a complete surprise because I figured many folks would be entirely politicked out. But I love it and I’m glad it’s also working for some others 💕

actual worst part of writing: editingggggg. Why can’t it all come out right the first timeeeeeeeeeeee.

how you choose your chapter titles: i actually like choosing chapter/fic titles! Often I choose them around the beginning of writing, and so far it’s roughly split between song lyrics and a quote borrowed from the source material.

do you outline: For multi-chapters: ish…? Usually I get super excited, outline everything, then get to writing and the characters do/say something unanticipated or I get another idea/want to explore something else, and then the old outline gets pushed down the page as the top of the page fills with new details and ideas and character notes. Or as with the politics AU currently, the rewritten outline for the remainder of the fic is sitting at the bottom of the chapter 11 draft. I’ll also have additional outline notes scattered in various notebooks or apps on my phone or in emails to myself. At that point I know the shape of the story in my brain and typically work in 2-3 chapter chunks at a time.

For one-shots: heh, I started answering this one way and then came to a different conclusion. So the answer is yes, by a certain view on outlining. It isn’t a case of numbering or bullet points, but more like notes scattered down the page of what’s happening next or emotional beats to land. If it gets to the point where numbering and bullet points are needed, it typically then falls over into a multi-chapter...

ideas I probably won’t get around to but wouldn’t it be nice: I have this crack fic I’ve been poking at for over a year whereby Brienne’s meant to be the honeypot but feels so awkward about it that Jaime takes over - that started out with them in law enforcement but moved into them as Robin Hood/Leverage-esque thieves. I did borrow a bit from the rough draft and expanded it out into a fic about their first kiss which I really like. There’s a lot about that concept I like (thieves! Brienne is desperately touch staved! Jaime is a heartsore shard! They steal Podrick! It’s mushy! Did I mention thieves???) But anyway it’s a whole lotta concepts and lacks a whole lotta plot, so. Never say never, but.

The other big one in this category is the book canon fic playing with the “but what if LSH has moved on by the time JB arrive at the (former) BWB camp?” thing I ramble about below. I’d say about 85% of that is written and every few months I pull it out and dust it off, so this one might one day come to be...? It’s mostly feelings anyway, tbh.

callouts @ me: I have not yet been called out by one of the masses, though confess I am sort of curious what someone might say! If I were calling myself out: probably things don’t need to be edited to within an inch of their lives maybe 🥴

best writing traits: I think I capture emotionality relatively well! And I like that I do fairly divergent things by way of story setting and theme. (Theme, ish. Almost all my fics can be boiled down to one central thesis but 😌😶‍🌫️)

spicy tangential opinion(s):

Lessee: poss my spiciest by way of diverging from what seems to be the agreed fanon is that I don’t think Brienne took to knighthood and swords just because her romantic dreams were squelched. I think she’s inherently inclined to both.

Second spiciest is perhaps that I agree with the fandom that a lot of Jaime’s gentleness got buried by his family BUT I think he was also always a bit sharp.

Aaaaand to round things out, I’ve got a nearly complete answered ask in my drafts wherein I talk myself into thinking that JB will *not* meet LSH immediately in Winds. I think LSH & co will have moved on by the time Brienne gets Jaime there, and that the ultimate confrontation will involve Arya as well, and possibly Sansa. BUT I caveat that my asoiaf reading and recollection is patchy so I’m open to discussion but, like, casual discussion haha 👀👻

Oh, bonus non-JB opinion: Elia Martell/Lyanna Stark rights ✌️

No pressure tagging @halfagod @theunpaidcritic @im-auntie-social @scoundrels-in-love @it-may-be-dull-but-im-determined @the-world-unseen @angelowl-fics and whoever wants to have a go, I have tagged you too! <3

#play with me tag #ask meme #writing

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bugs2101-inlondon · 2 years

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July 19, 2022

Well, today is my sister's 23rd birthday! So, the first thing I did was send her a "happy birthday" text and posted an embarrassing picture of us together. I will be sharing said "embarrassing picture" and a couple of others below.

(Okay, that was more than a couple but I’m sad I’m missing her birthday.)

After doing that, Caroline and I went to go get breakfast at a place we had not tired before. It's called the Duncan Terrace Cafe, it is of course adjacent to the Duncan Terrace Gardens which is about halfway up the hill to the Angel tube station. Caroline had a traditional English Breakfast while I had toast. (I don't like eating in the morning, it makes me feel sick. Please, don't judge me. I don't understand it either.) It was a cute little place and the people who worked there were so nice! After that we made our way back to a bus station and hoped on a train to go to Leadenhall Market. I was very excited because I needed more gifts for my friends back home and this is one of the oldest markets in London. However, as we quickly found out this market is more for restaurants and food. So, not the best place to find presents but it was definitely one of the most beautiful markets I've visited. Because we didn't spend much time at the market as we thought we were going to, we were able to just explore and find something to do. We crossed the Tower Bridge again, but this time we went the opposite direction and explored some stores. Then we took a break and sat in the shade and drank lots of water to combat the heat.

After that much needed break, we found ourselves traveling to Camden Market, again. And we were very pleased to find that the Northern Line was running perfectly, despite the heat. It wasn't even that uncomfortably hot, it was about as hot as normal which was really nice. After shopping and perusing Camden, Caroline and I came home and decided to get some dinner. The only problem was our beloved Barbican Pizza place was closed so we had to find a different place to eat. Caroline ended up finding a cute, hole-in-the-wall Italian place. I got squid-ink pasta with spicy king prawns. It. was. amazing. In a food coma, we walked home and pulled out our laptops to get some work done. And that is all for today folks! But since I do it at the end of every post, I will soon be going to bed to get my beauty sleep for the night!

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gallickingun · 4 years

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I really loved that Bakugo fic you just uploaded with the whole personality switching thing!!! So cute!!!! Do you think you could do something along the same lines with Tenya and his s/o? Only if you're up for it ofc! 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

a/n: i am tryin tenya for the first time, folks! and an opposite!tenya at that!! pls dont burn me at the stake - also, got a little spicy! my apologies!

It was normal for Tenya to come home energized once he completed a mission, or apprehended a villain. His enthusiasm is part of what draws you to him; he’s the definition of lawful, and the excitement of forcing everyone to comply to the orders given by those resting in a higher place is his most prominent trait.

So why he’s blitzed out of his mind, dancing with Denki on a table, you’ll never know.

He’s the one who suggested you two go out with your old classmates from U.A. high. You know that Iida can sometimes miss the camaraderie he had with his peers, mainly Deku and Ochaka, and so you indulge him from time to time. Being a hero can force you into a lonely existence, despite what they publicize on television advertisements.

“Ten’!” you shout above the music, “Hey, I think it’s time we call it a night!”

“What?” Iida’s eyes are glazed over, have been for about an hour now, and the way Kaminari grabs him by the arm to keep dancing does nothing to satiate your temper.

Bakugou tilts his head back, his hand wrapped around the base of a beer bottle, “Your boyfriends being a total idiot.”

You’re growling at him before snatching Iida off the table, tugging him by his shirt sleeve to get some air. You’re outside, hands on his face, trying to find the source of his sudden change in temperament.

“What is going on with you?” you ask, “Are you o-wh-”

Tenya has caught you by the waist, large palms practically encompassing the entire expanse of skin covering your ribs, his mouth overwhelming yours.

You tense, which causes him to pull back, “Tenya?”

“What? We’ve all gotta let loose every now and then, right?” He’s laughing, cheeks pink and eyes glowing in the moonlight. You shake your head, “Y-You hate public displays of affection…are you sure you’re okay?”

“Of course! It’s not a crime to kiss my girl, now is it?”

Okay, now you know something is up.

“Iida, what aren’t you telling me?” You stomp your foot, crossing your arms so he can’t reel you in further with his touch. You narrow your eyes, but the sound of the group of friends you came here with interrupts you.

“Bet he got hit by that villain today,” Bakugou chuckles, rolling his eyes as he and Kirishima start towards their car, Kaminari thrown over Kiri’s shoulder. “Remember? Turns you into the exact opposite of who you are.”

You vaguely remember your friend calling you up to tell you about how Katsuki had turned into a totally different person one day, only to find that it was a villain’s quirk that had been the culprit.

You glance up at Tenya, “You feel okay, though?”

“Yeah, babe, I’m fine!” He’s laughing now, tugging you forward to wrap you up into his thick arms. You’re sighing, falling into his embrace, taking it even though it feels foreign somehow. Tenya giggles in your ear, “Wanna head home?”

The blush on your face magnifies tenfold; you know that Deku had to hear that as he passed by to say goodnight. Your eyes go wide and you tilt your head back, but Tenya is nothing if not smug. You allow you mind to wander for a second and you swear that he meant for Izuku to hear him.

“Sure, but you’re not driving,” you mutter, grabbing him by the wrist.

Tenya is usually one to keep his hands to himself while you’re driving - he’s a firm believer in practicing road safety, and he’d also never want to put you in danger. So why his hands are experimenting between your thighs while you’re clutching the wheel like a madwoman is beyond you.

He’s barely got your shorts unbuttoned when you pull into your shared apartment. You gasp out his name and he’s looking up at you with pupils blown wide, taking over his dark irises. Tenya smirks and you’re sure you’ve never seen that expression on his face, especially not when his hands are between the heat of your thighs.

“C’mon,” he murmurs, kissing the curve of your jaw, “go inside like a good little hero, and maybe I’ll let you break the rules.”

send me a blurb request! character + trope/au/scenario/prompt!

tag below the cut!

@kamehamethot @simplybakugou @lady-bakuhoe @todorki-shoto @redhawtriot @burnedbyshoto @cookies-n-chaos @katsukisprincess @rat-suki @cutesuki–bakugou @k-atsukidayo @bnhatrashh @succulent-momma @voiceofreader @multifandom-fanfic @that-one-enthusiast @bitchtrynafck @cutest-celestial-princess @blue-peach14 @pastel-prynce @bokunokangae @shoutodoki @bakuoushoe @tenyaingenium @hoe-biscus @kingtamakimurder @myherofuckademia @myherowritings @lxvely-mha @myherorambles @birds-have-teeth @bratwritings @samanthaa-leanne @orokayagi @queensynderella @tumblingintothefeelstrain

#tenya iida #tenya iida x reader #iida tenya x reader #bnha x reader #tenya iida one shot #tenya iida fanfic #tenya iida fanfiction #tenya iida blurb #morgan writes bnha #my writing

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sunflower-swan · 4 years

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Wolfstar Chapter 1

A/N: Here’s what you need to know: I created this story for Writer’s Month 2020. Every day is a new prompt, and therefore a new chapter. This is an AU Wolfstar where Remus is a tattoo artist next door to Sirius who manages a flower shop. James and Lily are alive in this universe and own a coffee shop across the street. And to make parts of the story work with the prompts, Remus is about 10 years older than Sirius.

Day 1 Prompt: Tattoo Artist/Flower Shop AU

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 1318

Tags: smoking, language

Chapter One

Remus

Randy Newman “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”

If you've got troubles, I've got 'em too

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you

We stick together and can see it through

'Cause you've got a friend in me

“Missed you at the Potter’s Wheel.” Remus handed a steaming cup of coffee -- black with cream, no sugar -- to the younger man. He had grown accustomed to their morning coffee ritual, so he had worried when the other didn’t show up that day.

A bearded face peeked around the large floral arrangement. His grey eyes widened and then looked down at his watch. “Shit. I’m sorry,” Sirius apologized and accepted the cup. “We’re a little swamped at the moment,” he chuckled.

Remus looked around the Flower Loft. It didn’t seem any more crowded with floral arrangements than usual. In fact, it looked as it always did. The same cooler containing premade arrangements stood along the wall near the door -- for those spontaneous or impulsive people. Small tables containing other trinkets and tokens for sale dotted the wood floor. He couldn’t see anything different or out of place.

He looked back at Sirius. “So everything’s ok then?”

“Everything’s fine except I have two florists out sick this week, plus one on her honeymoon, which means I’m coming in early and working late this week to get our orders done on time.”

Remus noticed the dark bags under his friend's young eyes and worried that his ambition might be greater than his ability. “I grabbed a couple takeaway sandwiches, too.” He held up the wrapped sandwiches. “You need a break. Come on.” He took a sip of his mocha cappuccino and headed for the door.

Sirius followed him out the door and down the sidewalk. Remus stopped at a bench under the shade of an oak tree and they both sat down.

“Ham or chicken?” Remus asked.

“Mmm, chicken!”

He passed the container with the chicken sandwich inside, and Sirius ripped into the package.

“Fank ‘oo,” he said through a mouthful of sandwich. Swallowing the bite he asked, “What would I do without you, Remus?”

“Learn to take care of yourself, I imagine.” Remus chuckled to himself. If only that were possible. Or if only I could learn to let you.

Sirius stretched his legs out with a sigh, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Silas doesn’t like me working all these hours.”

Ah, yes. Silas. Remus scarcely avoided rolling his eyes.

Silas was Sirius’ younger boyfriend who was studying something to do with animals. Remus wasn’t really sure because Sirius had never been very forthcoming with the details of his boyfriend’s profession. Over the last couple months in which their relationship had grown more serious, he had tried really hard to be nice to the young man despite the significant instinct he felt to be anything but.

Preferring to avoid Silas conversation, he gave Sirius a noncommittal, “Hm?” through his mouthful of ham sandwich. Even if he also thought Sirius was working too hard, he wasn’t going to admit out loud that he agreed with Silas.

“Yeah. Between his work stuff and me at the Flower Loft, it doesn’t leave much time or energy for … you know, boyfriend stuff.” Sirius shrugged and took another bite of sandwich.

Oh, Godric. Boyfriend stuff?! Remus was in agony. This was neither the time, nor the place to contemplate Sirius and…‘boyfriend stuff.’ How can I steer this subject away from Silas?

“Hem,” he coughed. “So, how’s the guitar playing?”

“Oh, man!” Sirius leaned forward with enthusiasm. “It’s awesome! Difficult as hell, but awesome!”

“What are you working on right now?” Remus inquired. He was eager to keep the conversation on a safe subject. Music was one of the few things, apart from floristry, in which Sirius had a true passion.

“‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis.”

And off Sirius went on a long-winded explanation about the ins and outs of music, and chord shapes, and who knew what else. Remus didn’t understand half of what Sirius said, but he enjoyed listening. Watching the way Sirius’ eyes would light up; the way his hand gestures would grow more wild when he got over-excited; the way his eyes would crinkle when he smiled...Remus liked it when Sirius was happy.

He was in awe of this warm and sweet man. Regardless of the tingle he felt inside himself anytime he was in close proximity to Sirius, he buried those feelings. It was safer that way. For both of them.

Sirius finished his sandwich in between pauses, and lit up a cigarette.

“That shit is terrible for you,” Remus admonished him for the millionth time.

“That’s what you keep telling me,” Sirius responded, blowing a puff of smoke up and away, so as to not offend Remus’ sensitivities.

It didn’t help. His senses were more delicate than the average person.

Sirius stood up and stretched his hands over his head. The front hem of his shirt came untucked from his jeans, and a sliver of tan abdomen was visible. Remus felt himself flush and he looked away.

“Thanks for the break, Remus. I have to get back though.” Sirius gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. “Flowers won’t arrange themselves, unfortunately.”

Remus nodded and looked at his watch as he stood. “I have an appointment coming in about ten minutes anyway, so I need to get back too.”

“What are you working on today?” Sirius asked as they began the walk back to their respective shops.

“Finishing a sleeve for an Irish fella. Started it almost a year ago.”

The pair reached the Loft. “Maybe one day I’ll let you do me,” Sirius said with a playful smirk.

Phrasing. “You figure out what you want, and let me know,” Remus responded as level as possible.

Sirius barked a laugh and opened the door to the shop. “See you later, Remus.”

Remus waved good-bye and went next door to his tattoo parlor. Once inside he shut the door and leaned his forehead against it.

“Fucking hell.”

Remus banged his head a few times against the door, hoping against hope that he could knock some sense into his skull. Does he say shit like that on purpose? Taking a breath, Remus stood up straight, and pulled his wand out of his jacket pocket. He checked that the gold suede curtains were pulled closed over the front bay window and gave a complicated wave of his wand. His tattooing equipment sprang to life and set themselves up just how he liked.

Even though Remus had chosen a corner of Muggle London to set up his shop, in no way did it mean he had abandoned magic. Separating himself from the magical world wasn’t without its drawbacks, and he had to be more careful about not breaking the Statue of Secrecy, but the change had been necessary. It wasn’t too bad now he was accustomed to it.

~~~~~

The afternoon passed without incident. The Irishman’s last sleeve session lasted a good couple hours, and Remus was proud of the finished product. He had a couple walk-ins later on, but nothing came of them. Slow day overall.

He was leaned back in a chair with his feet propped on the desk, flipping through the latest issue of Inked, when Sirius came through the door.

“You made a tattoo decision then? That was quick,” Remus joked.

Sirius rolled his eyes. “No. I came to see if I could buy you a bite from Potter’s.” Sirius shifted his feet with his hands in his pockets and looked down. “You got me some earlier and all.”

Remus studied the younger man. Why did he seem … embarrassed? Shy? “You don’t owe me for that,” he replied, with a wave of his hand. Remus closed the magazine and stood up.

“Well, then I want to.” Sirius smiled at Remus now. “My treat.”

Remus shrugged. “All right,” he said. “It’s been slow as hell here today anyway. Let’s go see what specials James and Lily have today.”

Remus locked the door to the tattoo parlor and the pair walked across the street to the Potter’s Wheel Cafe.

A/N: The name of Sirius’ flower shop comes from the name of the flower shop in my hometown. The Flower Loft was on Main Street, which wasn’t actually named “Main Street.” It was one of two highways that intersected the small town in which I went to public school, and made some of my life-long best friends. “Main Street” was the “main drag” -- as we small town folks say -- and it was where 90% of the town's businesses resided. This chapter is dedicated to my first friend: my little sister. She is not only my sister, a mother to my two adorable nephews, and sender of spicy Harry Potter memes. She is also my number one beta reader. Our perfectionist and competitive spirits were bred into us and she doesn’t let me get away with crap writing. I love ya, Sis! Thanks for reading my words.

Next Chapter: Chapter 2

#writersmonth2020 #wolfstar #sirius black #remus lupin #remus x sirius #alternate universe

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diveronarpg · 4 years

Photo

Hello, hello again! Welcome to DAY SIX! The anticipated moment of reviewing the survey responses for some our favorite moments within the group has arrived. Looking at these again and looking back, it becomes immediately clear just how important it is to remember what makes all of us as close as we are and how much we’ve gone through together, from the funny moments to the heartwarming ones.

Below the cut you’ll find compiled responses from members of the group, recanting and recalling things that made them laugh, things that made them cry, and just what makes this group as special as it is: you guys! Two years is a long time for a group to stay together, and that’s a lot of time for jokes and laughs to kick up alongside all the inside jokes. We don’t expect anything of you today -- read, review, have a chuckle, enjoy!

OOC

Realizing that our Lina is the same Lina I was friends with in an RP about 4, 5, something years ago, and lost contact with. <3

Tomas’s Arthur write this

Ship shart/ bung chart

fourteen bras

It's old but, this pin from Dadley never fails to make me laugh: 💖dadley / regina, matt & theo 💖04/02/2019 And with that, it's lit. The witches dab in unison."

Also, 'Infant King' and Alexander being a James Dean Vibe as he stares out a window.

when paola stole an orange from everett

when alyx and adri switched names and icons on discord and even made julie switch her name and minnie was like sharpay in hsm this is not what i want. this is not what i planned. and ive just got to say. i do not understand.

viv knocking over alvas pho

graces bag of greens swinging as she pushes heloise against a building

graphic sapphic hand holding

cat getting trampled by a horse

IN DA STREETZ

alyx forcing us to stan steve harvey as alvise

Gracie pretending to not be soft but being soft af

DIVERONA

Seriously though - all the plot drops were good times, tbh. All of them brought the group together and made us laugh/bond/etc. :'')

I've been following your group on tumblr ever since you began your journey (i think) without applying and i just want to say i'm incredibly happy you're still around, still active. wish you all the best!!

one of my favorite parts of DV is how interactive and engaged everyone is with all the threads on the dash. no other group i've been part of would have members leaving comments on threads in reaction to the replies and it's been truly such a joy to see the little notification box tick whenever i post a particularly spicy or sad reply and know that folks are vibing with it

i've never been in a group as welcoming and inclusive as dv. members get excited about reading your threads, the passion that people have for their muses bleeds through everything they write, and there's never a dull moment. the admins are always working hard to make a creative environment that challenges its members in the best way. i haven't been here since day one but i feel like i have :)

DV is such a special community and rp! i was new to tumblr rp when i joined and all of you were accepting and helpful as i learned how to navigate it. some of my favorite plots and connections have come from this group, whether it's my own personal ones or ones i've had the pleasure of reading on the dash. everyone is so creative & talented, and the excitement to try new dynamics or directions for plots has made it so rewarding to watch dv and its characters grow and develop from where they were when i first joined! i think seeing where the characters/plots started and how far they've come has been my favorite part of dv, but i love the friendships i've made on the way & how comfortable it is to talk to any of you (whether we've written together or not!) love you all, and especially the admin team who have made it the place it is, and blessed us with 'infant king.'

you say go off and i WILL GO OFF i love dv so much and i really just can't pick one reason. because like 1) it's full of so much talent like i can always plot out interesting and development-satisfying threads because people are down to plot and 2) it's got such a great canon plot like the admins are GENIUS and write so damn well and i feel so immersed in their world and 3) everyone's rly nice i've made so many lifelong friends because of dv and i'm just really grateful for that. also special shoutout to the admins because you guys are so amazing and talented and always know what to say and you put in so much hard work and i promise you it is recognized and appreciated i love you guys so damn much it's not even funny

#diveronaadmin

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sinceileftyoublog · 5 years

Text

Weekend Picks: 2/21-2/23

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

BY JORDAN MAINZER

There were no live picks for yesterday, but plenty for the weekend!

2/21: Objekt, Smartbar

Here’s what we wrote about Objekt’s Cocoon Crush when we named it our #6 album of 2018:

“An artist solidly known for his bold exploration of techno, Objekt now takes a plunge into a new kind of ethereal beauty on Cocoon Crush. A foray into ambient music, Objekt subverts a lot of what we have come to expect from him. The line between digital and analog is smeared. Tracks are ungrounded, punctuated still by percussion and synthesizers, but in patterns and textures that materialize in mysterious ways. And just as they appear, they stutter and morph in ways unexpected to the listener. The cold machinations of the dancefloor are still present; they are just stretched and masked in exciting and rewarding ways.”

Darwin and Flower Flood open.

2/21: Knuckle Puck, Beat Kitchen

We previewed Knuckle Puck’s set at Durty Nellie’s two years ago:

“Covering last year’s Riot Fest, I found Knuckle Puck the worst set of the festival, though I did remark that the band’s new, unreleased material had the crowd’s attention as much as their released material. As it turns out, the album versions of the songs are pretty good. Shapeshifter, released about a month later in October, was exemplary of what Knuckle Puck do best–write catchy songs with powerful melodies and hooks, enough to showcase the band’s more-than-capable instrumental prowess while avoiding the try-hard singing that plagues so many of today’s emo bands.”

Cleveland power poppers Heart Attack Man and Wilkes Barre hardcore band One Step Closer open.

Objekt; Photo by Kasia Zacharko

2/21: James McMurtry, Old Town School of Folk Music

We previewed James McMurtry’s show at FitzGerald’s two years ago:

“James McMurtry plays tonight as part of the 37th Annual American Music Festival at Fitzgerald’s, still touring strong off of Complicated Game (one of our favorite albums of 2015) like he was when it first came out. When we caught up with him last November, he said of new songs, 'I’ve jotted them down on my phone as I’ve gone along. That whole record was written on an iPhone3. Unfortunately, I dropped that phone, I don’t have the cool Notes app anymore.' Well, either he’s got a new phone or doesn’t need one, because late last year, he released 'State of the Union', a trademark jab at fascism and racism. It might not be as succinct as him telling us 'There never been a good Nazi a day on this earth dead or alive,' but at least there’s hope for more new material.”

2/21: Raphael Saadiq & Jamila Woods, Vic Theatre

Last year, Raphael Saadiq released his first album in 8 years (since the great Stone Rollin’). Jimmy Lee is named after, inspired by, and partially about his brother who died of heroin overdose after contracting HIV many years ago. As such, whether singing or inhabiting the character of his brother, Saadiq is at times uncharacteristically somber. He’s at the other end of a barrel of a gun on “Sinners Prayer”, reflecting on his wrongs, wondering whether it’s too late: “When a sinner is praying, God, will you hear it?” He wears a heavy burden on the funky, stomping “Something Keeps Calling Me”, the song’s wailing guitar solo in the bridge a mirror to his emotions. Saadiq calls out society, too, just as much as himself. “The people are mad,” he sings on “This World is Drunk”. The one-two punch of anti-mass incarceration jams “Rikers Island” and “Rikers Island Redux” presents the issue as simply as it should be put: “Too many n***as in Rikers Island / Why must it be / Set them free.” The former expresses its anger with upbeat piano and a simple refrain, the latter with spoken word over gentle guitar strums.

Best, though, are the reflections of grace that rise above the despair. On “I’m Feeling Love”, over a slower, more warbling funk, Saadiq, singing as his brother, is thankful for the little that he has. And on the skittering, rolling “Glory To The Veins”, he again distills his brother’s death to what matters: “I lost a brother to AIDS / Still, he laughed every day.” We’re lucky that as he gets older, reflecting on his life, and playing live reflecting on his career in Tony! Toni! Toné! and all the legendary artists like D’Angelo and Solange that he’s produced, Saadiq is willing to impart his wisdom.

Jamila Woods’ LEGACY! LEGACY! was one of our favorite albums of last year:

“Yes, Jamila Woods’ stunning LEGACY! LEGACY! is a tribute to important artists of color. What makes it stand out among other tributes, however, is the remarkable way Woods is able to present how each figure has guided her. Take opener 'BETTY', about funk artist Betty Davis, a woman married to a far more famous jazz trumpeter who gets his own song later on. Woods explores the gender and power dynamic in the relationship and uses it to make a personal and universal plea: 'Let me be, I’m trying to fly.' Fly, she does. On 'ZORA', over a hip hop beat, Woods succinctly declares in an all-time line, 'My weaponry is my energy', the drive and desire the catalyst in the noble goal to make her mark on the world as a black woman as opposed to while being a black woman. In various interviews surrounding the album release, Woods spoke about being inspired by black artists who perform and make art truly for themselves independent and often in spite of the race of the end consumers. 'Motherfuckers won’t shut up,' beings 'MUDDY', referencing Muddy Waters adoption of electric guitar because white audiences would talk over his sets; 'Shut up, motherfucker,' she sings inversely on 'MILES', 'I don’t take requests.' But the percussive, jazzy 'EARTHA' best encapsulates her aims of self-love and ultimate pride. 'I used to be afraid of myself,' Woods admits before stating, 'I don’t wanna compromise.' Ultimately, the refrain of, 'Who’s gonna share my love for me with me?' is the mindset by which Woods approaches relationships throughout the record and then life itself. You can be a part of it, but she comes first.”

DJ Duggz also opens.

2/21: The Wailers, SPACE

We previewed The Wailers’ set at Old Town School of Folk Music last year:

“Bob Marley might not be around, but his original band, containing many of the original members and their children, continues to play his songs. Seeing them in a venue as small as this is rare.”

Tonight at SPACE--an even smaller venue--they play two shows, an early and late one.

Joe Henry

2/22: Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Vic Theatre

We previewed Big Head Todd & The Monsters’ show at the Vic Theatre two years ago:

“The Colorado jam band that saw mainstream success in the 90′s is touring fresh off of last year’s heavy New World Arisin’. In 2016, as Big Head Blues Club (the band’s project with a wide array of blues legends like Cedric Burnside and Charlie Musselwhite), they released Way Down Inside. But for the full potential of Big Head Todd and the Monsters, go a few years back and try 2014′s Black Beehive, a rawer, more diverse blues record than you’d expect from the band who recorded 'Bittersweet'. What’s for sure is that live, they’ll lean heavily on the new material while not forgoing their more beloved classics.”

They haven’t released a new album since then but have released a new song every month as part of a series. They should play some of these live, including gospel piano ballad “Hard Times Come No More” and the funky, rollicking “Train of Storms”.

Nashville band Los Colognes open.

2/22: Todd Barry, Thalia Hall

We previewed Todd Barry’s sets at SPACE two years ago:

“So, this isn’t exactly music, but deadpan comedian Todd Barry is performing 2 stand-up sets in one night at SPACE. Commemorating his 30 years of being a comedian, he’s going on another crowd work-only tour like the one documented in his 2014 special Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour. From watching that and his most recent Netflix special Spicy Honey, Barry’s dry observational humor is effortlessly tailored to specific crowds and cities, making this one of the must-see comedy events of the year.”

Even if tonight isn’t crowd work-only, he should do some of his specialty.

Chicago-based stand-up comic Chelsea Hood opens.

Hot Snakes

2/22: Joe Henry, Old Town School of Folk Music

Since we last saw Joe Henry five years ago, he’s done quite a bit of production work and released two albums, 2017′s Thrum, and last year’s The Gospel According to Water. In between the two, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer; considering that, the latter takes on weight. It’s, first and foremost, raw, from the guitar playing on “Famine Walk” to the title track. But Gospel sports moments of beauty, too, as on the woodwind of “Mule” and rich vocal harmonies of “In Time For Tomorrow” and “The Fact of Love”.

Americana duo Birds of Chicago open.

Pissed Jeans; Photo by Ebru Yildiz

2/22: Tim and Eric, Chicago Theatre

Who knows what Tim and Eric will bring to their Chicago stop of their Mandatory Attendance tour, other than their purported "brand new spoofs, goofs and insanity” and “special surprises.” The last time I saw them, Dr. Steve Brule showed up and almost married Jan Skylar!

2/22: Hot Snakes, Pissed Jeans, & HIDE, Empty Bottle

Music Frozen Dancing is upon us again, with suggested donations benefiting the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless! Go and donate!

We last listened to Hot Snakes from the medical tent at September’s Riot Fest. Since then, they’ve released the first two of four seasonal 7-inch singles leading up to the next LP: the burner “Checkmate” and wonderfully plodding laziness anthem “I Shall Be Free”. (The latter’s 7-inch has “A Place in the Sun” as an exclusive.)

Hot Snakes also play Sunday night at the Bottle with an opening set from post punk band Pink Avalanche.

Allentown hardcore band Pissed Jeans haven’t released anything since 2017′s Why Love Now, but they’re thankfully back to warm your pants before Hot Snakes. Maybe they’ll have some new songs to play?

Local industrial duo HIDE (artist Heather Gabel and percussionist Seth Sher) released their second album last year, the raw, disgusting Hell is Here. The drum programming and screaming is just as cringingly visceral as the recorded sounds of vomit hitting a toilet that end opening track “Chainsaw”.

Synth band Crash Course in Science, arty The Hecks, and local punk band Hitter also open.

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hayley566 · 6 years

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spider-folk favorite foods

Is it weird that I kind of wanna know what some of the spider-folk’s favorite foods are? I kinda blame “my hero academia” because in the character bios, they list off their favorite foods and activities and I feel like that helps say some things about them as a person at times. So, here’s some headcanons I made, as well as a few that we actually know.

Let’s start with the confirmed ones.

Peter Parker: Aunt May’s wheatcakes(aka buckwheat pancakes), hotdogs and pizza. Peter’s foods seem to be very nostalgia based. Not only with his Aunt’s wheatcakes but because what kid in New York didn’t grow up with several hotdog stands and pizza shops all around them?

Annie May Parker: Banana Pancakes. This was shown in the original “renew your vows” mini-series and I’d like to think this carries on to today. It matches with Annie’s somewhat childish nature and I’d like to think that she just has a big sweet tooth in general.

Spider-man Noir: Egg creams. This is a recent one and is technically a drink and not a food but still worth mentioning. Egg creams are drinks made with soda water, milk and flavored syrups like chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. A very old fashion kind of beverage that we don’t see a lot anymore.

Mile Morales: I’m going off the recent movie here again. We see Miles trying to eat some sort of rice dish his mom made before he goes to school, even almost burning himself to eat it. From what we saw on his spoon, it looks like a Puerto Rican dish called “ Arroz con gandules “.

Now for the headcanons based on what little we know.

Kaine Parker: Barbeque seems to be the most we see Kaine eat, especially in his solo, so I’m counting that as his favorite food.

Cindy Moon: When Cindy first came out of her cell, one of the things she said she was excited for was “hot food on sticks”. My guess is that her favorite foods are street foods like corn dogs and kebabs but doing research, I saw that a lot of Korean street food vendors are in new york and a lot of them are hot foods on skewers.

Aaron Aikman: This is a hard one because he’s only had one book and a dozen cameos. He’s a workaholic and I can see a lot of the food he eats being “on the go” and stuff he can eat with one hand while the other keeps doing work. Something like fries, chips, etc.

Miguel O’Hara: Another hard one since the most we see Miguel eat or drink is coffee or soda and he doesn’t like super sweet foods. I’d like to think that his favorite foods he likes are more on the salty or spicy side, since that’s sorta the opposite of sweet.

If you guys have any other food headcanons or know any food facts for the spider-people, I’d love to know.

#spider man #into the spider verse #spiderman #Spider-man 2099 #spiderman 2099 #silk #cindy moon #spiderling #annie parker #annie may parker #kaine parker #aaron aikman #miles morales #peter parker #miguel o'hara #food #favorite food #headcanons

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thechocoboos · 6 years

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Realization: Fem!Reader/Cindy

A story in which the reader realizes she’s a lesbian when she meets Cindy.

Words: 2056 Warnings: some swearing Pairings: Cindy/Reader

You had been traveling with the boys for quite some time. They had picked you up along the way at some point, and well, you just fit. You proved to be a help during battles and hunts, and as it was, you meshed pretty well with the four of your companions. So far, you had traveled all over the country, meeting interesting people left and right.

Of course, as you were a woman traveling with four men, some folks had asked you if any of your companions had caught your eye. The thought was always odd to you because, in all honesty, you had never really seen any of them that way. Hell, you had never even thought of them that way. The more you thought about it, the more you realized that you had never really thought of any man that way before. The thought of anything other than “I just haven’t found the right guy, yet!” never crossed your mind until you first laid eyes on the powerful women of Lestallum and you realized that you might not be as straight as you had thought.

Your even bigger realization didn’t hit you until you visited Hammerhead for the first time. The Regalia was in need of some repairs, courtesy of a certain Prince who caused one too many automobile accidents, and after a few months on the road, it was about time to stop there anyway.

Ignis gladly drove all of you to Hammerhead, he had been pestering Noctis about it for weeks. By the time you arrived, however, you were already sick of the blazing heat and the sand that had been flying into your eyes for the past two hours. You didn’t even glance at Hammerhead as you climbed out of the car, your legs stiff and your skin too sunburned for you to give any fucks.

“Hey, y’all! Long time no see!”

The voice was sudden and new to you. The bros so far had been able to avoid most damages to the Regalia, so you hadn’t been to Hammerhead before. Part of you cursed them for it, because the moment you turned around, you realized that yes, you were most likely very, very gay.

Part of you wondered if you had gotten too much sand in your eyes, or perhaps the harsh sun had given you a heat stroke. The woman who stood before you was beautiful--her tanned skin was flawless, her smile was sharp and radiant, and her hair? Six, it was the most beautiful golden blonde that you had seen in a long time.

“Hey, Cindy!” Prompto sounded out of breath as he spoke, excitement seeping into his voice. Cindy. Of course, your friends had mentioned her throughout your journey with them, and if your memory was correct, Prompto was harboring a rather large crush on her.

“Hey, there!” She gave him a bright smile, and you swore your heart rate increased tenfold. Her kind gaze slid to you, “Well, I don’t believe we’ve met?” She said, hands on her hips as she smiled at you. Her southern drawl was sweet and sing-songy; it left your ears begging for more.

This time, you didn’t look away as you blushed, managing a nervous smile and introducing yourself with a quiet voice. Behind you, something clicked with both Gladio and Noctis. They traded knowing looks before meeting Ignis’ calm gaze with big eyes. Prompto, on the other hand, was oblivious to your blushing self.

“Aw, that’s a pretty name! Can’t believe a cutie like you is travelin’ with a buncha smelly boys, though,” Cindy laughed, giving you a quick wink.

Oh. Oh goodness. You couldn’t hide your deepening blush. Was she… flirting with you? Gods, you hoped not. You didn’t think your poor heart could take it--not with the way you were feeling about her.

“Hey! We don’t stink!” Noctis protested, taking Cindy’s attention off you. She only laughed at him before turning to the Regalia and snapping into work mode.

You listened to her sweet voice, clinging to every syllable and your eyes never leaving her features. She was sassy, but there was a distinct kindness to her and you could feel yourself being drawn in more and more with every second.

It wasn’t until she left that you realized the boys were waiting for you. “Yo, you coming?” Noctis called, waving you to follow. “We’re gonna get some food at Takka’s,”

You managed to choke out a reply, quickly following. Inside at the bar counter, you could barely focus on the menu, your head swimming with new information. You ended up ordering something spicy, wanting to jump out a window the second your order left your lips. You could barely think straight, and now, you were going to pay the price.

Prompto threw a weird look your way as Takka turned to complete the orders. “Don’t you hate spicy food?” He asked, confusion lacing his voice as his brow furrowed.

“Uh--yeah--I’m just uh, trying something new, I guess.” It seemed there were a lot of new things in your life today.

“Oh, yeah!” He perked right up, “But hey, if you don’t like it, maybe we can trade? I just got a regular burger this time around,” Prompto told you, smiling. You smiled, thanking him. Prompto was always such a sweetie; it made guilt swirl around in your stomach as you realized you were developing a crush on the young woman who he was enamored with.

The meal was fairly quiet. Ignis and Gladio quietly talked together on your right, their heads bent. Noctis and Prompto were surprisingly silent save for the occasional banter, their eyes glued to their phones as they played King’s Knight. Meanwhile, you were left with your loud thoughts, trying to sort through both them and your newfound feelings.

“Ah, shit…” Noctis groaned, dropping his phone with a sigh. Prompto cheered, grinning as he pocketed his own device. Prompto was pretty good at King’s Knight, so it was never a surprise when he won against Noct.

“I win again, Noct!” Prom grinned, gloating slightly. He turned back to his meal, his eyes sliding to you. You had barely touched your food, both too lost in thought and too uninterested in its spiciness to eat. “Hey,” He nudged you, slight concern in his eyes, “You okay, dude? You’ve been kinda quiet all day,”

“Um, yeah,” You tried to fake a smile, appreciating his concern. “I’m fine, Prom. Just got a lot on my mind, ya know?”

“Yeah… I get it,” He smiled, “But hey, maybe sharing it might make you feel better?”

You shook your head, frowning at your food. “No, it--...I don’t think I wanna talk about it,”

He frowned, “You sure? You just look a little--”

You cut him off, scowling, “I said, I’m fine, Prompto--” “But--”

“Six, Prompto, I think I might be gay!” You exclaimed, cutting him off. The bros all stopped talking, Gladio choking on his beer from behind Prompto. Prompto’s blue eyes were wide as he stared at you, shocked. Noctis had frozen mid-bite, while Ignis had merely continued to sip his Ebony with nothing more than a calm gaze. “Oh shit, see?” You sighed, letting your head fall into your hand. “Now it’s just awkward,”

Gladio was still coughing. Noctis reached behind you to pat him on the back, silently hoping that maybe Ignis would smooth everything over. He wasn’t sure what to say in the situation, and he figured if anyone did, it would be Ignis.

“About bloody time you realized,” Ignis mumbled under his breath, earning a sharp glare from you. Of course, Ignis would have figured it out before you ever did.

Gladio managed to stop coughing, his throat hoarse as he spoke. “Uh, what uh, sparked this… realization?” He managed, having no idea how to go about it. He had never had a talk like this with someone, and he was just as lost as Noctis.

“I--I guess… I started realizing it in Lestallum?” You mumbled, scratching your head. Admittedly, seeing so many amazing women driving the workforce up there had kickstarted your slow realization. “But--” You paused, growing embarrassed. “It didn’t really hit me until we got here,”

Realization crossed Noctis’ and Gladio’s faces. Noctis nodded, “Cindy.” He mumbled, remembering your quiet voice and the bright, lingering blush.

Slowly, Prompto started to get it. “Ohhhhh…” He breathed, eyes wide, “Wait--You like Cindy, too?!” He exclaimed, beaming as he bounced in his seat. Oddly enough, he was excited.

“Shhh!” You hissed, your face growing warm as you glanced around to see if anyone heard. Even if you were growing used to the idea, that didn’t mean you wanted everyone and their grandmothers to know.

“Oops--sorry!”

“Well, at least someone in the party has a chance with her, now,” Noctis noted, sipping on his soda. His comment earned a chuckle from Ignis and a small snort of amusement from Gladio.

“Wha--hey!” Prompto exclaimed, “I’ve got a chance!” He pouted in his chair, disagreeing with the comment.

Gladio snorted, “Please, Prompto. you practically drool all over her,”

“What--No! I don’t drool!”

You managed a smile, although it didn’t reach your eyes. You weren’t sure if this meant they were okay with it--hell, if they were even okay with you still traveling with them.

“Hey, um,” Your quiet tone caught their attention and they managed to stop squabbling. “Is--Is this okay with you guys? Can I still keep traveling with you?” They seemed taken aback, their eyes big and confusion crossing their faces.

“What--yeah, ‘course,” Noct answered, sounding incredulous.

“Yeah, you’re our friend!” Prompto added, beaming at you. “Doesn’t really matter who you like, ya know?”

“Yeah, kid,” Gladio grinned down at you, clapping a hand on your shoulder. “Cut the crazy talk. You’re kinda stuck with us, now,”

Ignis leaned onto the counter, “Although it does seem like we’ll have to work some more Hammerhead stops into our journey…” He mumbled, brow furrowed as he worked out the math in his head. “After all, the Regalia could use some more tune-ups,”

You couldn’t help but beam, your eyes almost tearing up. You knew there were folks who weren’t so accepting of different sexualities, so to hear their reassurance warmed your heart. It brought a warm smile to your face and you couldn’t help but feel a rush of affection for them.

“‘Scuse me,” Takka said, smiling as he walked over with a large plate of food in hand. “Overheard y’all talkin’ about Cindy,”

You felt nervous as he mentioned her name and couldn’t help the blush that bloomed over your cheeks. You could only hope that he hadn’t overheard the conversation.

“Well, I don’t think she’s come in for lunch yet, so, could one of y’all take this to her? I’d appreciate it quite a bit,” He glanced at you, a knowing glint in his eye as he smiled.

Gladio was the one to speak up, “Sure thing, Takka,” he glanced at you, smirking, “She was just about to head over to check on the Regalia, weren’t you?” His large hand clasped onto your shoulder again.

“U-uh, yeah,” You squeaked, trying not to sink into your seat.

Takka smiled wider, handing the plate to you with a wink. “Say hi to Cindy for me,” He added, watching with satisfaction as you scrambled out of the diner.

“I didn’t take you for a matchmaker, Takka,” Ignis spoke, keeping an eye on your figure through the window. They were all watching you stumble over to where Cindy stood by Cid, no doubt talking about the Regalia.

“Usually, I’m not,” Takka admitted, chuckling, “But I think that little lady needed a friendly nudge,”

“That she does.”

“Guys! She’s talking to Cindy!” Prompto grinned, taking a sly picture of the scene through the far window. It was blurry, but he bet that you might appreciate the picture one day.

They watched, far too interested, as Cindy laughed at something you said. She took the plate with a slight nod towards the garage. They weren’t sure what was being said, but they couldn’t help but cheer as you followed her, a nervous smile on your lips and your hands clasped behind your back.

It seemed Noctis was right, after all. One of them definitely seemed to have a chance now.

#ffxv #ff15 #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #ffxv cindy #cindy #cindy aurum #lgbtq #lgbt #sfw

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bronzeflower · 6 years

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Who The Fuck Writes A Ten-Page Rant?????

Chapter 19: A Big Ol’ Birthday Party

Given that it was kind of ridiculous to try and wrap a goddamn coffee table, you just woke up earlier to replace the old coffee table with the new coffee table.

You were feeling a little anxious while wondering if Kanaya would like your gift, but you tried to rationalize it because you worked hard on that coffee table and Kanaya hated the old coffee table. She would definitely love your gift.

You ignored your worries by starting to cook some of Kanaya’s favorite meals-cluckbeast eggs made over easy with grubsauce, along with spicy sausages and toasted baguette bread with raspberry jam.

You did you best to cook the meal, but the over easy eggs turned out a little more over medium, and the sausages turned out a little burnt, but the bread turned out well, and you didn’t manage to burn that at all, which you were very proud of.

You put the meal on a plate with some jam and grubsauce on the side along with a glass of orange juice. You brought it to the table, where you made yourself a similar meal so that Kanaya wouldn’t feel bad about getting special treatment.

You added some flowers to the vase on the table and went to go wake Kanaya up. You honestly would rather let her sleep, but she hated sleeping in and she was really excited to set up her party.

So you went to her room, carefully opening the door and tiptoeing over the Kanaya's recuperacoon, where Kanaya was sleeping peacefully and somehow wasn’t woken up by all the pots and pans that were banging around in the kitchen while you were cooking.

“Hey, Kanaya,” You whispered as softly as you could which honestly wasn’t all that soft. “Wake up, I’ve made breakfast.”

Kanaya opened her eyes kind of blearily, blinked a few times, and looked a bit more awake after that.

“You made breakfast?” Kanaya asked, her voice a little groggy and rough from sleep. “I will rid myself of the slime currently covering me and get dressed before joining you.”

“Alright,” You left the room and put the last few finishing touches on breakfast and the table.

Kanaya soon entered the eating block. She was wearing her pajamas, which trolls don’t actually need, but they function as pretty comfortable clothing. Kanaya would probably change for the party, but, for now, comfy.

“This looks lovely,” Kanaya said as she sat down at the table.

“I did my best,” You responded, allowing Kanaya to start eating before you dug in so that you could see her reaction.

Kanaya went for the sausage first.

“How is it?” You asked a little nervously, hoping that you didn’t fuck up completely.

“Tasty,” Kanaya answered, and you felt pretty much all worries fall to the wayside.

The both of you ate your respective meals in relative silence, absorbed the food and the comfort of the atmosphere, both of you completely comfortable with the other’s company.

The food was better than you expected-the eggs weren’t burned, just cooked a little more than you meant to. The burned part of the sausages gave them a little extra flavor, and, of course, the toast tasted the way toast should taste. Obviously, the things that were sore-bought like the grubsauce, jam, and orange juice all tasted delicious as well.

Overall, it was a very nice breakfast.

Kanaya helped you clean up despite your protests that she shouldn’t be doing work on her birthday. But she insisted, so you begrudgingly allowed her to help out.

“Are you ready to get everything prepared for the party?” Kanaya asked after you were finished doing the dishes.

“One second, I have to give you your gift first. Or, well, show it to you because it was a little too big to properly wrap up and hand to you in any kind of practical way,” You said. “So, like, just kind of follow me to where I put your gift.”

“Alright, lead the way.” You guided Kanaya over to the living room and sort of dramatically gestured to the coffee table that you spruced up.

“You replaced the coffee table!” Kanaya exclaimed. “And the new one matches the decor! Oh, Karkat, this is beautiful. Thank you.”

“You flushed from the praise, and, feeling a bit bashful, muttered out a ‘no problem.’

After showing the gift, you and Kanaya began decorating for the party.

The both of you had previously picked out ‘Birthday Party’ decorations, which included streamers, balloons, fake animal corpses, and passive-aggressive signs telling people to clean up after themselves. Some of the decorations were more traditional for Wriggling Day parties, but that didn't really matter all that much because it was Kanaya’s party, and she could decorate in whatever way she chooses.

So you put the colorful streamers up, and you put balloons in random places along with the fake animal corpses. The passive aggressive were taped onto trash cans and tables, with particular attention paid to the snack table for those people who exclusive hang out by the snack table and then refuse to clean up after themselves.

After you and Kanaya decorated, the two of you started working on the food. You filled the snack table with cupcakes and salads and grubslices and potato chips and many other options, along with a large punch bowl in the center that someone would almost certainly spike with something. Because people loved to get trashed, regardless of the sign that said “If You Spike The Punch I Will Divide You In Half With A Chainsaw,” which was more aggressive than passive-aggressive, but that never stopped people from spiking the punch.

The main variable would be whether the punch was spiked with soda or alcohol. Probably both, if enough people decided that they wanted to get trashed. If a person gets too trashed though, you were going to kick them out. However, you did add a drink cooler in case people didn’t want to risk the punch.

The cake, of course, was kept in a separate spot from the snack table so that a big reveal could occur.

Soon, one person arrived. Then another and another and another until the party was in full swing. Many of Kanaya’s business associates were there, along with friends and friends of friends. Basically, there were lots of people that you did and didn’t know.

You opted to go talk to some people you did know, and you saw two people that you knew.

It was Stelsa, a fashion designer known for her unique and bold fabric and color choices, and Tagora, Kanaya’s textile supplier.

“Karkat! It’s been a long, long while! Why don’t you come chat with us?” Stelsa yelled. You liked her because she, too, had absolutely no volume control.

“Hey, Stelsa. Hello, Tagora,” You greeted, and Tagora offered a sleazy smile your way. He was a little weird, but he made the best quality and most ethnically-made textiles out there, which was part of the reason why his prices were so high.

“Greetings, Mr. Vantas. A pleasure to meet you once again,” Tagora said.

“Oh, cut the shit,” You rolled your eyes. “I already see you basically monthly to get new textiles from you. I’m pretty sure we’re far past these sorts of fake-as-fuck pleasantries.”

“Oh, wow, you’re much nicer when you’re at work,” Tagora pointed out.

“No shit, you soggy pile of cheese. I know about basic fucking decency.”

“Doesn’t seem like you know about ‘basic fucking decency' based on your current interactions.”

“Oh, go fuck your kismesis.”

Tagora blushed a bright teal. You knew that he does actually have a kismesis, and they’ve been in a committed relationship for a long while. You have heard many complaints about him, and it validates your skill in helping people with their relationships.

“Hey! Stop fighting!” Stelsa ordered. “I thought you two were friends!”

“We are,” You and Tagora chimed together.

“It’s just a friendship where we insult each other a lot,” You explained, and Tagora nodded.

“It’s completely platonic. After all, I am currently in a very committed black relationship,” Tagora said.

“Well, I know that, Tagora. Why do you think I was so concerned that you were suddenly fighting with Karkat of all people, who has been nothing but kind to me.”

“Stelsa, I really don’t feel that way about you,” Tagora mentioned, causing Stelsa to blush from embarrassment.

“I don’t feel that way either! I was just making sure you didn’t feel black for Karkat!”

“I don’t, no offense, Karkat.”

“Some taken,” You responded. You figured it was about time to stop this argument, although it was basically done already, so you said bye and wandered around to look for other people to greet.

You found Kanaya talking to Lanque Bombyx, who was one of the most famous models out there. Honestly, at this point, this almost felt like a networking event rather than a Birthday Party. Also, Lanque was kind of dramatic. All the time.

Regardless, you decided to go over to the two in order to join in the conversation.

“Kanaya, Lanque, how’s it going?” You asked.

“It’s going well,” Kanaya responded. “Lanque and I were just discussing classic literature with each other.”

“Which classic literature?” You LOVED classic literature. While you would always prefer your romance novels, there’s something special about those books you read and analyzed while in high school. And you absolutely believed that analysis was important to learn because it assisted in critical thinking skills which are necessary for the world of today.

“We’re talking about the Great Gatsby,” Lanque answered. “I’m quite interested in the fashion of the book, and how it’s used to illustrate the downfall of the wealthy.”

“And how the fashion is also used to differentiate between old money and new money?” You said, fully prepared to have an extensive conversation about the motifs used in the Great Gatsby.

“Hey, folks, mind if I steal this cranky boy way?” Terezi showed up, grabbed you, and you were suddenly whisked out of the conversation.

“Hey!” You yelled. “I was in the middle of a conversation!”

“Well, it’s done now,” Terezi responded. “Also, we need to get to a dark corner because I wasn’t really invited to this party.”

“Terezi, practically no one had an invitation to the party. That’s why we always set out a bunch more than we think we need for the folks we invited just because so many fucking people arrive because they see that we’re having a goddamn party and decide to just let themselves in.”

“Kanaya always invites the most stuffy people though. Her parties always feel like a networking event before all the uninvited people come,” Terezi reasoned. “I’m just making the party a bit more interesting by being here.”

“Did you spike the punch?”

“What! No! I would never do that!” Terezi grinned. “The punch was already spiked before I got here. The only thing I did was bring a date. Speaking of which, I should probably go find her.”

“What was the actual point of dragging me over here if you’re just going to run off anyway?”

“You looked hungry,” Terezi cackled as she shoved some random snacks into your arms before running off to find presumably Nepeta.

Slightly pissed off, you awkwardly but angrily open a chip bag and munched on the chips with as much fury as you could muster.

You slowly became less angry as you ate, and you realized that you were actually kind of hungry. You took a minute to wonder if Terezi was pale flirting with you or if she was just concerned for your health like any good friend would be. Or if she was actually going to tell you something then panicked last minute.

“Hey, Karkat, watcha doing all the way over here in the dark corner by the snack bar?” Dave snuck up on you while you were deep in thought, and your bones almost escaped from the skin and muscle surrounding them.

You took a moment to realize it was only Dave before you responded to his question.

“Terezi sentenced me to this corner to eat snacks because I apparently ‘looked hungry,’” Your finger quotes were done pretty awkwardly because of the amount of snacks that you were still holding. “Here, have a few. I don’t think I can actually eat all that she gave me, and also all of this is kind of getting difficult to hold.”

You shoved a few snacks into Dave’s arms, and he seemed to get a bit redder than usual.

“Are you sick?” You asked. “You seem a little red.”

“You put the snacks you were holding onto one arm and held the back of your free hand to Dave’s forehead. His face became redder, and you almost saw the sweat going down his face.

“Ah, no, no, I mean, no, I’m not sick. At least, I’m not aware if I am. I feel pretty fine. In fact, I’m pretty sure the only thing sick about me is my sick beats,” Dave rambled. “It’s probably just because it’s really warm in here. There are so many people in here, you know? Lots of people, lots of body heat, who wouldn’t be feeling a little hot in here?”

Dave attempted to fan himself but failed due to the snacks in his arms.

“I can show you a place with fewer people if you're really that warm,” You said, even though you could see Dave's bullshit one hundred miles away. Despite this, you still thought he would appreciate getting out of the crowd.

“Yes, please,” Dave responded, and you guided him over to your own room which was locked to prevent random people from going in there and having sex. You certainly remembered one of the first times you didn't lock your door at one of these parties. You shuddered at the thought and locked the door behind you and Dave.

You dumped the unopened snacks into the desk and sat down on the bed. Dave also placed the snacks in the desk, but he turned the desk chair around and sat in it.

“So,” Dave began but failed to say anything after that.

“Yeah?” You encouraged. You could hear the music from the party blaring outside the room, along with the multitude of people conversing, but your room muted the sound.

“Did you know what Terezi wanted from you?” Dave asked. “Like, yeah, obviously she thought you looked hungry but was that really all she wanted to talk to you about?”

“I have no idea,” You responded. “Who even knows what's going on in her head at any given time. She barely even gave me a single clue on what she actually wanted to talk about.”

“Maybe she chickened out,” Dave suggested. “Like it was important and all, but she just couldn't muster up the courage to talk to you about it.”

“That seems unlikely.”

“I don't know, man. Terezi has issues that she doesn't really talk about at all with anyone, so it’s not really something I would put past her.”

You thought for a moment. You wondered exactly how close Terezi and Dave really were and why you never really picked up on that. Maybe you were just so blinded by your crush on her in middle school that you didn’t notice then, and after you got over your crush, you were too awkward about your former crush to actually get to know Terezi better.

“She should probably get a moirail,” You said, deciding not to voice your personal concerns.

“She should absolutely get a moirail,” Dave agreed.

The two of you spent a few seconds in an awkward silence all while struggling to find something to talk about.

“So, um, how are those videos going?” You asked because it was the first thing you thought of.

“They're going well, you know, or, at least, pretty well. I’ve been uploading a bunch of shit, and the audience is eating it up, loving that good ol’ ASMR. Wasn’t the original purpose of the videos, but if it helps me get more money, then who am I to not give the audience what they want.”

“What what videos have you been releasing?” You asked. You already knew the answer to this question, but you’ve got to make some kind of conversation.

“I’ve been making a bunch of food videos lately, but honestly, that’s mostly because food is perishable, so I’ve got to get rid of it pretty quickly. Which reminds me, do want some mangos? I accidentally ordered way too many mangoes, and they’re all pretty ripe, so I can’t really eat all of them by myself. I’d get sick of mangos, which is really a shame because mangoes are delicious, especially fresh mangoes.”

“...mangoes.”

“Yeah, mangoes. It was for a video testing out a bunch of different fresh food boxes, and I ended up with so many mangoes, and I don’t really know what to do with them.”

“Make mango sorbet. It’s pretty simple to make, and it only requires three ingredients, and it tastes best with fresh mangoes.”

“I don’t really have an ice cream maker-”

“I do. Bring the mangoes tomorrow. We’ll work together to make it.”

“I feel vaguely like I’m making a drug deal,” Dave said.

“There’s no drugs involved. Only sorbet. I would offer to do it today, but there’s a big party going on right now, and I can only assume we want all the sorbet to ourselves.”

“Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of letting a hundred people get into the ice cream my bro and I worked so hard on. That shit is off limits.”

“God forbid so many people find it that we don’t even get any,” You responded, and Dave put on a worried expression.

“No!”

“Yes!” You said, mostly out of reflex. “They’ll eat it like a five-star meal, and they hadn’t eaten in a week.”

“Like they haven’t eaten in months.”

“Maybe not months. The still have to be alive in order to eat the sorbet.”

“Maybe they’re zombies,” Dave suggested.

“Why would zombies want to eat mango sorbet?”

��They’re craving those mangos. Got to get that Vitamin C, man. Otherwise, they’d get scurvy, and that’s not fun for anyone.”

“Zombies wouldn’t care if they got scurvy. They have no pain receptors-they wouldn’t be able to feel anything.”

“Counter-point-they’re constantly in pain and trying to do anything they can to relieve it. They feel hunger, don’t they? Actually, do brains actually satisfy that hunger? Are they just a bunch of empty calories and they don’t actually have to eat brains, but, since eating brains is how they reproduce, that’s something they biologically want to do?”

“You bring up solid points, but, if that’s true, then there’s means to wonder if what zombies feel is actually hunger,” You continued Dave’s rambling. “I still say they don’t feel pain, but I see your point. But do zombies feel at all? Have they lost that ability? I doubt they feel love or hate or even basic emotions like happiness or sadness. Although, I guess it depends on what part of the brain is left uneaten.”

“Guess so ‘cause it’s, like, different parts of the brain are responsible for different things, so it would stand to reason that zombies are different depending on what parts of their brain had been eaten.”

“Unless the zombies systematically eat brains an a way that causes only parts of it to be eaten, leaving the other brain functions alone,” You argued.

“I guess that would give reason as to why all zombies are basically the same. That, or it’s because the movie industry refuses to show us disabled zombies in a classic case of ableism.”

“Light movie industry give us the zombies in wheelchairs and the zombies with chronic pain.”

“Go further, where’s our depressed zombies? Our zombies with anxiety?” Dave responded. “Where are the zombies who can feel love. Found family zombies, romantic zombies, gay zombies.”

“Holy shit, gay zombies.”

“Hell yeah, gay zombies,” Dave confirmed. “Going to be the best romcom of the century-two zombies against the world.”

“They fall in love at a coffee shop while one of them is trying to eat the barista’s brains. The barista shoots one of the zombies and the other dramatically and carefully takes care of them as the two of them slowly fall in love.”

“I can see it on the screen now-’Sweet Bro and hella Jeff: Zoompies in Loev,’ comically misspelled, of course.”

“That’s a horrible name,” You argued. “I suggest the much more elegant name, ‘In Which Two Zombies Named Bro and Jeff Meet at a Coffee Shop Where in Jeff is Attempting to Eat Barista #1’s Brains and the Barista Shoots at Jeff, Hitting Bro Instead and Jeff Retreats with Bro to Take Care of Him and a Relationship that was Originally Just Between Strangers Soon Delves Into One Between Loves and They Struggle to Survive the Dangers of Living People While Maintaining Their Relationship.’”

Dave stared at you. He kept staring at you. The thrum of the part outside of the room was the only thing breaking the silence. Snacks still sat on the bed and desk, still begging to be eaten, but both stomachs were full. There was a careful stillness to the room.

Dave breathed in and breathed out. He repeated the action before putting his hands together as if in prayer.

“Karkat,” Dave disrupted the calm. “That’s a terrible name.”

“It’s a working title!”

“A working summary, maybe. At least mine was ironically bad.”

“Well, shit, that makes it so much better, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“I’ve got some fucking news for you then-something being purposefully shitty is equally, if not more shitty than something that was accidentally shitty,” You yelled through the virtue of being completely unable to have your voice be quieter.

“No, making something purposefully shitty is better because it makes it ironic.”

“I think you need to reevaluate what the meaning of irony is, you shelled peascod.”

“What the hell is a shelled peascod?” Dave questioned.

“It’s an empty peapod-it’s like your brain.”

“Oh, shit, I am feeling so insulted right now. I think I’m gonna need some cold water for that burn. IN fact, you’re gonna need a shovel to bury me in the ground. Wait, not burial. It’s such a good burn that I’m being cremated, and you’ll have to get an urn for my ashes.”

“Are you sure you even deserve an urn?”

“You’re absolutely right-I deserve better. Turn my ashes into a gemstone and use it to make some kick-ass jewelry. Give it to my great-great-grandchild and say ‘Hey little Jimmy, here is a haunted rock’ ‘why, who’s it haunted by?’ Jimmy says like that’s the most important thing to be worried about in that situation. ‘Why, it’s haunted by your great-great-grandfather, little Timmy.’ ‘Dope,’ says little Timmy, who pockets the gemstone only to accidentally break it later and unleash the full force of my haunting power. Rattling shit around and makin’ spooky noises and all that fuckery.”

“Is your great-great grandson’s name Jimmy or Timmy?” You questioned, deciding not to get into whatever nonsense Dave just said.

“His full name is Jimmy Timmy STrider, and if that’s not the best fucking name in existence, I don’t know what is.”

“Hmmm,” You considered this for a moment. “I think literally any other name would be better than that festering pile of shit.”

“Wow. I can’t believe you would say that.”

You suddenly heard someone attempting to open your door before they started knocking. Three consecutive knocks, a short pause, and then three more knocks.

Well, you knew that knock anywhere. You went over to unlock the door and let Kanaya in.

“It’s good to see you again, Karkat. I see Dave is in here as well.”

“Yes, how was your conversation with Lanque?” You asked.

“It was certainly interesting. After you left, he started talking about the history of telescopes. I remember nothing from the conversation save for the fact that past telescopes were extraordinarily long, with one such telescope reaching around one hundred and fifty feet long.”

“Holy shit-that’s one long telescope,” Dave interjected. “How did they even hold it up to the sky? God, how heavy was it? That’s insane. Can you imagine a telescope that big? Wait, wait-I should do commentary for my channel on an astronomy documentary.”

“I am certain that there would be someone who would appreciate that, although I’m not sure if it would be something that I, personally, would enjoy,” Kanaya responded, and Dave kind of lit up, seemingly unaware that Kanaya lowkey insulted the idea.

“The real question here is how the formatting should be,” Dave began to ramble while you and Kanaya ignored him and had your own conversation.

“Karkat, I was somewhat worried that you were just holing up inside your room all alone, so I came here with the intent of offering you some company, but I suppose with the inclusion of Dave here, it might be more appropriate to ask if you want food.”

You looked over to the piles of snacks on your desk and bd. Kanaya glanced over as well before staring expectantly for an answer.

“I think we’re good on food. I won’t say no to having your company although are you sure you don’t want to continue partying? Or mingling with friends and coworkers.”

“I’m sure,” Kanaya answered. “I’m a little tired and was looking for a reprieve from socializing.

“And here I thought you were an extrovert,” You joked. Kanaya laughed.

“Shush.”

“I’ve never shut up in my life, and you know it.”

“What coincidence, neither have I,” Dave interrupted.

“Shit, I never would have guessed with the amount you run your mouth. It’s like you’re constantly about to die, and you desperately want your last words to be the worst thing that anyone could possibly conceive. Your last words will likely be reminiscent of the idea that you want to such a ghost’s dick, which you’ll only be able to do if you perish.”

“Now I’ve got to make those my last words. It’d be the greatest thing in existence. Your last words would be something super cheesy and nice, like how much you love your friends and shit. Nothing wrong with that, but it certainly is kinda boring. Big tearjerker though.”

“This coming from the ghost fucker.”

“Would you not fuck a ghost?” Dave asked. “Get up good and close to that gussy.”

“I’m going to make those your last words,” You snarled, the empty threat making Dave laugh.

God, he had a really nice laugh.

“Let’s go to the dance floor!” Kanaya interrupted. “I think we would all benefit from a bit of fun dance time.”

Kanaya dragged you and Dave outside the room and left you two alone.

“You had no idea if Kanaya was auspistizing between you and Dave or if she was helping out. Regardless, some gray feelings overlapped with your pale feelings for her.

“...Was Kanaya trying to do stuff in the clubs quadrant?” Dave asked, voicing your own question.

“...I don’t know,” You answered. You looked over towards Dave, who appeared to have a dusting of red over his cheeks and ears.

“So, uh, are we, are we gonna take Kanaya’s advice? Dance the night away and all that?”

“Yeah, why not?”

You and Dave then proceeded to dance until the both of you were too exhausted to continue and went to your room to watch movies until the both of you passed out.

#hometuck #davekat #pale kankat #dave strider #karkat vantas #kanaya maryam #various other characters #who the fuck writes a tenpage rant

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felicityb-reviews · 7 years

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Experimental SHINee - Feature Spotlight

Hello babies, and welcome to the next Feature Spotlight in the SHINee Spotlight series!! My name is Jace (aka Felicity B), and today we're gonna be taking a slow drive through SHINee's more experimental era. This era in SHINee's career actually features my first SHINee comeback (Dream Girl, dahlings), so I am The Most Excited™ for this FSL!! It feels like Dream Girl dropped ten years ago, rather than just five, but I guess that's what K-Pop does to you.

And in case anyone is wondering why I'm going in reverse chronological order, it's because 1of1 and Misconceptions of Me are my favorite SHINee albums.

Era Spotlight

So, I cheated. I really should have featured from DxDxD in this list instead of ones from FIVE, but I don't really like DxDxD!?!??! It's literally my least favorite SHINee album, sis. FIVE, to be frank with you all, fit more in line with the '90s 5HINee era, but it also fits in this experimental era pretty well.

The name of the game here is experimental, folks. SHINee must have gotten a little bored after they decided to go RnB again after LUCIFER. The bulk of the songs on this list were released in 2013, a year that SHINee really pushed the boundaries of who they were as a group, and I almost kind of miss it. Granted, I loved the maturity in sound they came back with on Odd and 1of1 (the former more than the latter, tbh), but this experimental phase was just a fun time to be a SHINee fan. This list includes songs from both Misconceptions albums, the Everybody mini album, and the previously mentioned Japanese album FIVE.

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Spoiler (Misconceptions of You ~Dream Girl~)

Gurl... SHINee was not fuckin' around with us with Spoiler.

Spoiler is a song that Jonghyun wrote incorporating all the song titles from the Misconceptions series in the lyrics. And sis, I was like, "This is cute, or whatevahs!!" when he spoiled the tracklisting for Misconceptions of You, but when Misconceptions of Me dropped and we found out he spoiled that too?!?!?! My wig wasn't just lopsided, she was free floating in space.

SHINee really fucking Did That™ with Spoiler, sis.

Spoiler sounds like someone took Sherlock, and turned her into a vampire. Spoiler is Sherlock's darker and more seductive older sister. It's kind of interesting how they kicked off the Misconceptions series with Spoiler, a song that starts out like their previous title track, but with a dark twist. It's almost like they were making a statement, sis. This SHINee is New and Improved™ SHINee. This SHINee is Upgraded™ SHINee. SHINee 2.0, if you will. We snatched you with RnB/Funk, we snatched you with EDM, and now we're gonna snatch you with both. Enjoy!!

Symptoms (Everybody)

I imagine sex feels like what listening to this song feels like.

Symptoms is an eletro-RnB song that sounds like it was snatched right from the Billboard Top 40. Which doesn't surprise me, because it was produced by the Underdogs (who also produced EXO's Overdose, another song that's dripping in that Top 40 sound from the time). Symptoms is a song that starts out loud and proud; it gives you Drama™, and it gives zero fucks about it. She looks at you without a care in the world and says, "My name is Symptoms, what did you expect!?!?! A cutesy pop track?!?!?! Boi, if you don't get!!"

And mind you, that's what I love about ha.

I fucking love a SHINee song that gives us all the bells and whistles, because they really don't have to. Look at Odd Eye - she's as stripped back as it gets for RnB midtempos, but SHINee still Shine Bright Like A Diamond!! But here's the thing - these dramatic ass niggas love songs like these. You can't tell me these SHINee boys don't love a beat with all the bells and whistles; the way they always come correct on songs like these says it all.

Become Undone (FIVE)

Speaking of songs that lack bells and whistles, Become Undone is not one of them. You'd have to be a Fool™ to think a song titled Become Undone on a Japanese record could be a toned down track.

These types of songs are usually the most dramatic.

Become Undone is an angsty song. She's a song I can see playing during a scene where an anime protagonist has to make an extremely hard decision. Like, intentionally stepping into a trap to save your friends, or deciding between saving your loved ones or the world (don't look at me like that, you guys have seen Sailor Moon).

The main star of the show here is the chorus. That's true of most pop songs, but especially so for Become Undone. She features The SHINee Specialty™ (their ridiculous ability to blend their harmonies together like fuckin' buttah), the trap beats presented in the verse kicked up 10,000 for Maximum Drama™, and orchestral stabs that tie everything together. Become Undone has one of the most emotionally satisfying choruses I've heard in a pop song. Sis, I'm literally the INTENSIFIES meme listening to this song, it's just so good.

I'm really glad that groups like SHINee have had the pleasure of working with a Japanese team to release music in Japan, because it allows them to play with their sound in a way that they can't in Korea. And that's not to say that SHINee haven't played with their sound in Korea (this FSL is literally on the era they experimented with their sound the most), but there's certain sounds and textures that are specifically J-Pop in feel, and it's really cool to see a group like SHINee tap into that.

Orgel (Misconceptions of Me ~Why So Serious~)

Okay sis, now we're actually bringing it down a notch. Not for long, but I figured y'all could use a break, even if it's short lived.

Orgel is a song that's quite similar to Odd Eye in the fact that it's SHINee driving the song with their vocal performance, and the beat is going along for the ride. Orgel also features a melody that sounds like a something you'd hear in a music box, and while that motif is quite overused in pop music, it doesn't make Orgel feel played out. It's just a really pretty song from five really pretty boys.

Orgel is a really neat song, because even though SHINee are driving the song with their voice, they're really not doing a whole lot on the beat. Their vocal performance on Orgel is subtle in the same way the beat is (or rather, as subtle as these boys get), but they still stand out. It's an interesting experience, sis.

Queen of New York (Everybody)

Now this is A Song™, sis.

Queen of New York feels very lounge cafe, sis; she's very "let me sip my expensive coffee drink while I read the latest copy of Cosmo or OK! Magazine". Queen of New York is also very much something the drag queens are voguing to at the local gay club. Miss Queen of New York is a woman of many moods, okay?!?!?!

Queen of New York was a very fun surprise, because I don't think anyone was expecting a song quite like this on the Everbody mini album. She's very edgy, but in a way that you don't expect songs described as "edgy" to sound. Queen of New York has a very polished feel to her, but there's a dirtiness to her that you can't tame. She's a proper Upper Middle Side woman, but she's not afraid to take a walk on the wild side. She's not afraid to show you how to get down, and I just love that so much.

One Minute Back (Everybody)

This is also A Song™, babes.

One Minute Back is grungy, sis. She's not a proper Upper Middle Side woman, she's a punk rock/biker girl with a flair for the dramatic. Ain't nothin' polished here, ladies!! Well, SHINee's vocals are pretty polished, but that's a given. I've never heard a SHINee song where the vocals weren't produced to a T.

But despite that, Ms One Minute Back and Ms Queen of New York are happily married!!

One Minute Back, like Queen of New York, was a song I was pleasantly surprised to hear on Everybody. One Minute back has such grungy verses, but then the chorus and the bridge are so Funky and so SHINee. BUT THE TWO DIFFERENT VIBES BLEND TOGETHER LIKE IT'S NOTHING!! It's such an aurally pleasing experience, you guys!! The reason I compared One Minute Back to Queen of New Year is that they're both marry these two moods to amazing results. I mean, Queen of New York doesn't fully commit to the grunginess, but there's enough of it lying below the surface that it's worth mentioning.

ABOAB (FIVE)

Ms ABOAB is a Bad Bitch™. She's a Boss Bitch™. She has no time for your games, boo. Ms ABOAB is a brazen ElectroFunk number that makes no apologizes.

If SHINee wanted to make a record like Everybody for the Japanese market, ABOAB would have been the title track/lead single. Miss ABOAB is spicy. She's seductive. Miss ABOAB is full on club bounce, and I McFucking L O V E when SHINee do those kinds of songs. There's just something so sexy about them working that club vibe, sis. I lowkey wasn't ready for ABOAB, but she really didn't care. She mesmerizes with the way she flits between emphasizing her Funk and Electro elements.

And that damn drop with the horn line... BITCH!! My wig has been compromised.

Runaway (Misconceptions of You ~Dream Girl~)

Runaway is another ElectroFunk track, but brighter and poppier in a way that contrasts ABOAB quite nicely. It's no less fun and club ready, tho.

Runaway is mainly driven by a punchy synth stab and SHINee's very fun usage of their vocal harmonies. While Miss ABOAB would whip ha weave in ya face if you ever tried to talk to her, Miss Runaway would make silly faces at you and coax you into doing silly dances. I, always and forever, wanna see SHINee in concert, but I especially wanna see Runaway and ABOAB performed live, because they always do these types of club ready tracks Just Right™.

Hitchhiker (Misconceptions of You ~Dream Girl~)

Because God Knows^™ these boys can't not give us a track that channels the very essence of MJ and his weave.

If Spoiler was too gimmicky of a sequel to Sherlock for you, then Hitchhiker is your song. Hitchhiker, to me, sounds like the perfect representation of this era in SHINee's discography - let's take what we already do well and marry it to a whole new palette of song styles/textures, and see what sticks.

And lemme tell you somethin' - Hitchhiker sticks like fucking glue. Remember what I said about SHINee loving the bells and whistles that comes with doing over the top songs?!?!?! That's in full effect here, sis. Hitchhiker is anthemic as all fuck, and these boys ride that beat like they were made for it. And to be completely, I have no doubt in my mind that they were.

Nothing to Lose (FIVE)

So who else was expecting to get something hella grungy like Natalia Kills' Break You Hard or Seventeen's Clap with how hard that guitar was filtered?!?!?! I can't be the only one here.

Nothing to Lose bait and switches us with that dark n grungy guitar riff, because the majority of the song is rather bright n poppy. But I really can't be mad, because I rather liked the way they transitioned the darker sections into the brighter ones. And Nothing to Lose is pure octane fun. It's kind of a hard song to hate, because it gives zero fucks about how cutesy and cheesy it is.

There's also a rather nice helping of Funk thrown into the mix, but I'm gonna pretend that that had nothing to do with much I like this song. Even though it's what makes me like it the most.

Punch Drunk Love (Misconceptions of You ~Dream Girl~)

Punch Drunk Love channels Love Like Oxygen like SHINee's producers were in the studio intentionally trying to produce a sequel to the song. And if you know anything about me, you know that Love Like Oxygen is literal auditory C R A C K for my black ass. Punch Drunk Love also sounds like SHINee's writers held a seance and channeled MJ's spirit when they were writing the song for the boys.

And y'all already K N O W I'm here for that shit.

Punch Drunk Love is the SHINee Five™ on autopilot, sis. SHINee will never not know how to come correct with a Funk song, and it warms my heart. The attitude, the harmonies (THE BUMBACLOT HARMONIES), the overall feel of the song; SHINee gets it right. If you ever needed a pickmeup, then put on SHINee's Punch Drunk Love, and thank me later. This is another song that is unabashedly cheesy, but gives absolutely zero fucks about it.

Isn't it beautiful!?!?!?

Evil (Misconceptions of Me ~Why So Serious~)

Evil can be summed by in two words - Drama and Killer Harmonies.

That's technically three, but you know what the fuck I meant.

Evil is SHINee at their most dramatic. I remember Shawols losing their collective minds at the fancams from the concert performances where they wore blindfolds.

Yes, you read that correctly. These dramatic ass motherfuckers were performing on stage with blindfolds on. They were, more than likely, see through blindfolds, but never doubt SHINee's collective love of the Drama™. They absolutely would dance completely blindfolded.

Evil starts out slow, but I very much doubt that many of us thought the song was gonna stay that way; SHINee were just building the atmosphere (read - creating the perfect environment to torch our weaves). Evil has an almost musical theater vibe to it, except not nearly as cheesy. Evil is honestly a one of a kind experience that we all need in our lives at some point.

Especially because SHINee were on their harmonic A game the day they recorded Evil. When the drums drop out and it's just the orchestral stabs with their voices?!?!? Fuckin' magic, ladies.

Like A Fire (Misconceptions of Me ~Why So Serious~)

We all Know™ Like A Fire, because of that one performance where Jonghyun, Kibum, and Jinki were having a contest to see whom tf could be the most extra (to be honest, I'd say Kibum won, based purely on the fact that I didn't even know he could wail like that). But Like A Fire stands firm on her own by being a wickedly good Funk song.

(Sidenote - I'm about 90% this list has more Funk tracks than my '90s 5HINee FSL, and I want you all know that that was not on purpose. I wont be changing it, but I swear it wasn't done purposefully!!)

Like A Fire, like Punch Drunk Love, is SHINee on autopilot. I don't know what else to say about this song. It's just so Classic SHINee™, sis!! The verses have a more somber, minor tone to them, but the choruses transition (maybe that's a modulation, I'm not Musically Advanced™ enough to make that call) into a killer major groove that is just so beautiful to listen to. I don't know anyone who doesn't like this song. Liking Like A Fire is a requirement for being a Shawol (especially a Shawol of color). If you don't like Like A Fire, you're invalid.

I need to say something about these harmonies and ad libs, tho. Did the producer of Like A Fire tell the SHINee Boys™ to go HAM the day they were laying down tracks for Like A Fire?!?!?! Did they mean for the harmonies and ad libs to get this over the top!?!?! I'm not complaining, I just wanna know. Because the harmonies and ad libs, especially, are so ridiculous!! I love every second of it, but sometimes it K I L L S how extra this song is!!

Diamond Sky (FIVE)

The first time I ever listened to this song, I cackled like a banshee at how extra that intro was, because it's so SHINee. It's so dramatic, and it suits SHINee to a T. I was expecting the verses to be some Final Dragon type shit, or somethin'!!!

Diamond Sky is pretty standard fare for a J-Pop song, imo. It doesn't stop me from loving SHINee's take on it (and it shouldn't stop you), but it's worth mentioning; SHINee + J-Pop = Love. Like I mentioned above, I'm glad that SHINee were able to continue releasing music in Japan, because this is a style of music that suits them well, but would not do well in Korea at all.

Diamond Sky feels like the theme song for a magical girl anime. The twinkly pianos, complemented by the strings and electric guitar give it an air of grandiosity that would have made it a perfect theme or insert song for Sailor Moon. If they had added a modulation at the end for Maximum Drama™, I'd have lost my shit.

Close the Door (Everybody)

Firstly, if you haven't watched the SHINee World IV performance where Jinki tap dances to Close the Door, I'm judging you. Our sweet dubu leader did not bless us with such beauty and grace for you to ignore it!!

Secondly, Close the Door is the cheesiest love song I've ever encountered in K-Pop. It's got the romantic sounding keys, the strings, it's in 6/8 time (perfect for a waltz, babies), the lyrics are so sugary sweet, and the chord progressions utilize mostly major chords. And you know what, I absolutely fucking love it. I'm a cheesy Romantic Gay™, and I fucking love this cheesy ass love song. It's just so aurally pleasing, especially since these SHINee boys all have voices that blend together amazingly when they harmonize. Sue me.

Sleepless Night (Misconceptions of Me ~Why So Serious~)

SHINee ballads are a wonderful, amazing thing, you know?!?!? Especially when they don't give us the typical classical ballad, but go a little left field into something jazzy or RnB. Which is what they do with Sleepless Night.

This week's playlist features a lot of songs that are extremely over the top, sis. And I mean, we've discussed this; these SHINee boys love the drama of it all. But they also love lowkey songs like Sleepless Night. You'd be able to tell if they didn't with a song this stripped back and bare. Sleepless Night is literally the SHINee boys (and their amazing harmonies), a piano, and some strings. And it's fucking amazing. There are quite a few songs from SHINee that I want to experience live, but I think Sleepless Night tops the list. Well, that and Wish Upon A Star, but I'm sure I'd cry my fucking eyes out listening to that. I mean, I might cry my eyes out to Sleepless Night, but there's less of a chance there.

I've accepted that I'm a boring bitch who lives for a good ballad (the amount of ballads I've had to listen to for my RRUs has definitely proven this), but there's nothing quite like a good SHINee ballad, sis. There ain't never been a SHINee ballad that I didn't like.

And that's all for this week's list, loves!! Please tune in next week for the next era in my SHINee Spotlight series, Contemporary SHINee ver.2!! And don't forget to tune in Wednesday for my next Review Roundup, featuring songs released this week!!

Love you, guys!!

#Feature Spotlight #SHINee #Felicity B

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anxiously-nonchalant · 3 years

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7.7.21

REFLECTION ON THE PAST DAY

i kinda didn't accomplish anything substantial. i did end up eating a healthy breakfast (yay, little wins), but then after that i fell into a slump again. i didn't exercise. i didn't drink water which made today my third day without drinking water, so i had a pretty shitty headache when i woke up. i did end up having a chat to my dad about saving money so at least i made a little bit of progress on that front. didn't end up playing any piano, which makes me sad because i love playing the piano but motivation is non-existent. i don't even know if it is actually motivation at work at this point because i want to do things but feel like i am mentally incapable. i did try to buy tickets to the museum but we left it a bit last minute so there were no tickets left, so that's that. i ended up playing games literally all day. mic was off so interaction was minimal, which is what i needed. i did try talking a bit later on but i wasn't my "usual" self and wasn't laughing and whatnot so people picked up on it and i ended up jumping off. had cereal for dinner because energy was super low and then scrolled on my phone in bed until i fell asleep.

THOUGHTS - 12:30pm

woke up feeling empty but with a bit of a headache and super drowsy. i got a call from my special person** which was really nice. what isn't really nice, however, are my mood swings. this is why bpd is a piece of shit. we were just having a laugh, looking at memes. then i had to talk about my problems because i can't help it (again bpd things). and then i cried for a solid three and a half minutes. and then i felt perfectly fine. and then i got out of bed, had a shower (yay, little wins). actually felt excitement, laughed a little bit, and now i'm back to feeling tired because, let me tell you what, this shit is absolutely fucking draining and i am so sick of it. managed to drink a few sips of water though, so i'm basically winning at life.

i don't have much else to say today because my head is e m p t y .

i changed water in one of my fish tanks. getting some cute little shrimpies tomorrow so gotta make sure i have the tank all nice for them. hopefully that gives me some happiness or some shit, i don't even know. couldn't cook breakfast today. it's basically lunch time, i've been up for six hours, so i've ordered myself some nandos. extra hot and spicy to match my personality...or to burn myself from the inside out. haven't decided which one it is yet. i was ravenous yesterday and today i couldn't care less about food, but i'm forcing myself to eat anyway. hopefully i'll have the mental capacity to cook myself up something healthy for dinner. that's all from me today folks. over and out.

**honestly, thank fuck for this person. my rock. i don't think i could survive a day without him. i will forever be grateful for him. it's so nice to have someone who doesn't give up on you, who cares about you even though you're basically crazy. so much love and appreciation for him.

FEELINGS

disconnected, grateful, frustrated, drained, lost, incompetent, tired, aloof.

DAILY GOALS - keeping this to a minimum today i think, i don't have the willpower for it

eat a healthy dinner, get some sunlight, drink some water, smile, send a gift to my special person, hang up my laundry.

POSITIVE THINGS

i got my sleeping pattern somewhat fixed and woke up at my normal wake up time today. means i won't have to struggle waking up when i work this weekend.

i get my shrimpies tomorrow. surely that'll be nice. one step closer to reaching my tank goals.

my dog is super cuddly and affectionate. big love, much need.

the weather is nice.

#daily thoughts #journal #mental health #mental wellbeing

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toddlazarski · 4 years

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Last Suppers Vol. 5

Shepherd Express

“In this past I long for, I don’t remember how even then I longed for the past.”

— Denis Johnson

In the El Tsunami parking lot in mid-January snow turns tumor-black and gets pushed, in some unholy unseen hour, into jagged triangle wedges up against the brick building, clearing space for the subsequent gray slush and glut of cars and those cars’ passengers, all trying to avoid ice-flecked black puddles and questions of why any of us would live in such an environment so threatening to dry socks. My daughter somehow eschews usually prominent stranger danger notions to cheerily, proactively, greet the panhandler just outside the door, leveling the playing field, at once, for all three of us, erasing discomfiture in smiling unexpectedness, seemingly validating good vibes therein. Inside, nursing a sportscar-red michelada, in a frosty mug of the size and depth and seriousness of an extra in that scene from Indiana Jones, the rim coated by a grainy quilt of spicy salt rendering the straw a silly suggestion, there is a pulse, well aside from the bumping telenovelas on all the TVs. It almost feels like there is a no-sitting rule for children, as they bounce around, between tables, blurring the distinctions between families, pirouetting by waitress trays, skipping and skirting and flaunting even pre-pandemic social graces. Parents look appropriately tired, waitresses overwhelmed, the end-of-week Saturday reward day is aglow, salsa-amped and horchata sugar-lit, even before a wandering mariachi duo wanders in, seemingly at random, as if they were traversing South 13th in the 30-degree day in cowboy hats, with classical guitar and accordion. By the time the oompa of alternating bass line balladry and emotively stretched squeezebox reeds mix—table to table they go, for a palmful or two of cash—with the svelty green table sauce, the ceviche dip, the warm chips, fierce, charcoal-kissed carbon tacos, or greasy smoky housemade chorizo, or oily flaky fish, it is easy and instant to forget what life resembled back in the parking lot. We’ve all, communally, arm-in-arm, with collective vision, forged the perfect escape plan.

At Vanguard, when it’s summer, or spring, or any time when the Packers are not on and it’s not a wrestling night or Halloween, when there’s room for small chat and the usual backdrop—Soul Train, maybe an O.J. Simpson workout video—there is no better feel than happy hour with exactly one open swivel black chair near the end of the bar. Even though the bartenders render me not cool enough, probably too old, far from properly bearded, I will stake a claim, rope off my spot with a hoodie on the back of the seat, like delineating property lines, as close to Manifest Destiny as I might get, sticking out elbows just a bit in subtle “don’t tread on me” histrionics. You can hover, sure, go ahead and take my drink menu, yes, food menu too, fine, oogle away at my curds and beer stein aioli all bloodied with house hot sauce, you can even talk close and ask for suggestions and pat me on the back when you lean over the shoulder to catch the barkeep’s eye. Just let me sit in the middle, in the beating heart, like the front row at a boxing match where part of the excitement is getting hit by a little sweat, like the Stubhub offerings we click just to see, front rows price tags to voyeuristically consider, to think what if? While I’m in, while the place fills to capacity—only now a nightmarish notion—-behind me, I slow-sip and savor a hungry evening bustle and a draft Manhattan, I delay gratification with menu pondering, possibility appreciating, before inevitably tackling a chilli cheese dog, a Velveeta-blanketed and appropriately-named “Durty Burger,” the whole thing a silly gesture of why not gluttonous indulgence, barely leaving room for the IPA I’m always about to order—like some kind of metaphor for the stuffed barroom itself.

These will be my first stops, when we’re all back, fully rubbing elbows, finding space in standing room only occasions. When we can be, what I’ve heard more than a few service industry folks refer to, “nuts to butts.” If and when the unidentifiable health metrics in my heart all check green, these are my buzzing Milwaukee mind spots, of food poetry yammering, of context being an ingredient, of flavor deriving as much from the atmosphere, as much from the flutter of a true peak social experience. I think of an Istanbul market, the group teem, the contrasting currents of crowds lending pick-pocket anxiety, general personal space ruffling, some dangerous enticement to the prevalent smell of roasting, rotating meat; a pizzeria in Naples, needing to engage in mosh pit antics for a spot on the list; Steny’s, for an Eastern Conference Finals Bucks game. The times to eschew ease, embrace struggle, deal with an annoyance for this will be worth it. When all is well, again, when I can cruise the city streets, casually pop in for a taco or four, stop for a beer or beers, such spots are where I might set my aims. Once so small-town, so simple-minded, now the idea of someone handing me a menu is a memory seed I treat and water like the notion of the one that got away. Here are the daydreams I’m afraid to risk, but keep tucked away in some kind of hope chest of sights to get back toward, one day, comfortably, normally, the good food times that come as much from the setting, from the moment, the people.

And I don’t even really like people.

Another thing I’m not crazy about—outside. And yet, here I am, often these days, and not just because the weather has turned friendly, ironically, as the country seems to burn, standing in my backyard, staring at the stars or the clouds, or the military-hued helicopters, sometimes, waiting for my gut, or my meat thermometer, to tell me it’s time to turn back to the Weber, flip the sausages, burgers. Always aggressively testing the tongs, grabbing at ghosts as they waft, I wistfully wonder how the maestros at Vanguard always avoid the flare-ups, the drying-out, nearly always get it all so right, the snap, one order after another, without looking like they are trying, cool in backwards hat insouciance, even when confronted by an endless stream of hungry scenesters.

Here I am, too, with makeshift picnics of Foxfire takeout fare, of taco truck tlayudas, cautiously staking a blanket claim or bench at Sheridan Park, its meandering jogging path and sweeping lake vistas leaving space for grass-tabled meals. Or at Humboldt Park, by the grimey pond that might as well be Walden’s, for the existential dread I’ve brought to it these past three months. It seems like a sanctuary of sorts, emblematic of anywhere there is space, really, from headlines, and health metrics, enough of it for nobody to be near enough to be afraid of. But of course there is no one to say gracias to after a salsa refill. There is fresh air, yes. And there is also the fending off of the geese, the dancing around of the geese poop, the chasing of napkins— inherent that any picnic venture provide at least this bit of Charlie Chaplin skit performance—and, inevitably, the throwing out of napkins because they probably touched some geese poop.

Still, with a double patty Foxfire burger, coated and buffed in salt and love and oozing American goo cheese, or with some foiled-taco steam, anywhere I might end up, today, isn’t so bad. And also, before wasn’t always good. The past is only painted in technicolor ideals in our minds, and especially now. Vanguard was many times just far too crowded, and sometimes, too many times, they forgot to toast my bun. And it felt too loud to even mention. Tsunami, despite my perpetual best efforts and bad dietary habits, has never cared I’m there, that I keep coming back, that I talk about it and write about it and bloviate. Every time I hit the door they almost always collectively look at me as if I’m lost or am about to ask to use the bathroom and then leave. In general, how many restaurant tables are too dirty? How much service is too slow? How many menus are so alike? Oh wow, look, a Southwestern Burger! How many bartenders have that attitude that this next shake of the shaker—no, this one, above the head!—could be the one to cure cancer, and how dare I interrupt or not be appropriately captivated?

The now, at least, has options. Such as, when it’s rainy, or too cold, or suddenly, too hot, we can sit in the car. The radio sounds better from in there anyways, the wind can’t steal and confetti-toss all the napkins like a cruel game of keepaway. We can think of ourselves as trying new things, embracing fresh thoughts, getting stains on our pants and shirts in different places, from different sit-and-eat situations. This month brings a new Bob Dylan album. It certainly won’t be Blonde on Blonde. It won’t even be Love and Theft. But there will be something you’ve never heard. Likewise tomorrow will bring something new, another distraction tactic, another approach, another appetite, and, if we’re lucky, another way to satisfy it.

Meanwhile, so much of the future seems to be being written for us, by unseen authors with little writing experience, the lot of them banging away on outlines behind scenes, on drafts where they can’t even fully commit to a genre. Post apocalypse-ism mixes with an economic playbook, fantasy meets self-help meets realism. Throughout, uncertainty seems to blend with malfeasance, announcements are unmade or surprise-made, or made and reversed, or misunderstood or ignored. Restaurants are not open, but tomorrow, at precisely 2pm, they can be and we will all be safe. Go ahead. Our reality, our way forward, seems tenuous, a bit dreadful, a venture out still coming with constant subconscious risk assessment, a survey of an unpredictable and maybe cataclysmic thunderstorm before a bike ride, the checks and balances on fun and need. Skipping headlines for more than a few hours seems to be willful ignorance. But maybe it’s more simple: if I can’t safely see my restaurant servers face, this situation is probably not quite right.

In our bubbles, in our political allegiances, it was easy to know where to stand, especially gauged by the actions and virally-spread photos of a bunch of boneheads at a bar Platteville, when the Supreme Court struck down caution and reason to make Wisconsin, again, a national laughing stock of unawareness. It seemed a slap in the face, the wake-up kind, a dose of belligerent selfishness. Yet, maybe history will see it all differently. Perhaps they, us, are all simply, naturally, hellbent on togetherness. On connection. With the country seemingly schisming more by the day, with fractures leading to offshoot fractures, maybe we actually just need something, somebody, each other. We invented taco trucks, and then, eventually, taco truck parks, as if even our restaurants should socialize with each other. We came up with small plates so that the same table could legitimately hold, say, at La Merenda, goat cheese curds alongside Jamaican goat curry next to seared Sockeye salmon. And they could all become friends. Cheers has always been so popular, held up, not just because it is pretty funny, but it represents an ideal, of comfortable cahoots, of escape from the real world. We can see, hope ourselves, there, all of us being our self-deprecating and whimsical best, with buds and brews and wisdom found. It represents a coming together, in the face of our absurd existence. A mariachi duo, or far too much to eat and drink, can show that our time is still now, that we—me, and you over there, at the same spot, in the same moment!—deserve something, sometimes.

These days I think often of a long-shuttered Bay View corner tap I used to freely and proudly proclaim to anybody listening as my Cheers. It was a strange, dim nook of the world I drank and wedged my way into, forging a musical and lyrical brand of late-night conspiracy. By the time I became a regular, my bartenders, my Sam and my Woody, would occasionally let me stay after hours, would pour me a shot of Bulleit at 2:30, would joke about me having my “shift drink,” would not kick me out until I kicked myself out. We would bitch, complain, jostle, josh, give each other hurried TED Talks in the sporadic crowd lulls. I knew the names of their siblings, the health statuses of their dogs, they were invited to my wedding. All those nights, eventually, I would stumble out the door, solo stagger home, bleary-eyed but content, untouchable to Monday, knowing, simply, far from sober but assuredly, somebody got me. In the hullabaloo existence of parking lots, indifferent masses, I had a spot. I don’t know when, I don’t know who will tell me it’s time, I don’t even know where, but I know I need to get back to that place.

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